


Multiversal Reylo

by xanderlike



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: AUs Lots of AUs, Angst, F/M, Humor Occasionally, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2019-07-06 00:42:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 75,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15875034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xanderlike/pseuds/xanderlike
Summary: Different worlds. Different times. There's always Ben. There's always Rey. Different one shot ideas.1. High School. 2. Matt the Radar Tech 3. Pop Princess and Dark Knight of Rock. 4. Rey writes her own ending. 5. What happens if we kiss? 6. Married to the Space Mob. 7. Super Heroes. 8. Amnesia. 9. Scoundrel Rey and Jedi Ben. 10. Give her away? 11. Ordinary Ben Chosen Rey 12. Everything you know is wrong. 13. Kira Palpatine 14. Tomb Reyder 15. Balance Pizza 16. Soulsaber 17. Revenant Ren 18. No One 19. Space Battles the TV show 20. Balance





	1. High School

Two months ago Ben Solo made the worst mistake of his young life, and he felt like it was going to kill him. Two months ago, Rey Plutt, his best friend in the whole world- probably his only real friend in the whole world kissed him- and Ben Solo ran.

Two months.

Two months of hurt looks from the girl who used to be as much a part of his life as breathing. Two months of watching her walk the hallways of Coruscant High School without him. Two months of watching Poe Dameron flirt with her … watching the transfer student Finn (and Ben could never remember his last name) and Rose Tico take his place at her side. Two months of hell.

_It's for the best. It's for her own good. Keep telling yourself that, Solo. You know who you are- what's in your blood. She's better off- safer- without you._

He stepped out of his car- a black and silver Dodge Charger, a gift from his parents- _or a bribe to keep silent about what he had learned of their family_ \- and made his way into the high school. He was wearing a black hoodie that was at least two sizes too large, and the hood he always wore up- until a teacher told him to pull it down- covered his head. He was too tall to completely escape notice- something he had inherited from his father along with his driving skills- but he did his best to blend into the background as much a tall teenager in black could in a small town high school where his mother served as mayor and his father owned the largest trucking company in the state.

And with every step he looked for Rey.

She shouldn't have been hard to spot. She was the poorest kid in school. She wore a battered white jacket, and ratty jeans and motorcycle boots no matter what time of year it was. Her hair was kept boyishly short, and no one could ever remember seeing her wearing makeup of any kind.

Ben thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world.

He had never told her that, of course. It would have sounded stupid and cheesy coming from him because Force forbid Ben Solo who was all arms and legs except for the part of him that was all ears and a nose- should ever tell _any_ girl that she was beautiful. That was something for guys like Poe Dameron- not losers like Ben Solo.

He hated every time he saw her with Poe Dameron. Hated every time she laughed at one of his stupid jokes. Every time she blushed when he said something nice about her.

But as much as that hurt, seeing her with Poe meant that he was _seeing_ her. That was all he had now. No talking. No texting. Just the chance to see her and know she was okay.

It was all he lived for.

But this morning there was no Rey. No matter where he turned, he didn't see her.

No Poe Dameron either.

He had the sudden mental image of Rey in Poe's arms … of having spent the night with him … and the white hot rage almost made him catch fire.

Lockers flew open. A nearby water fountain flew its tap. The glass in a classroom door shattered and fell to the floor.

Everyone looked wildly around to see what happened.

_No. No. Keep calm, Solo. Calm …_

It wasn't the first time that something strange had happened in Coruscant High, however, so when the poltergeist-like event ended as quickly as it began, something like normalcy returned.

Ben made his way into the commons. Armitage Hux and Phasma Parnassos were sitting at a table. Hux was a fashion plate- always dressed to the nines- but Phasma was something else. She was taller than Hux by six inches. A blue eyed blonde bodybuilder with a gorgeous face who was also the school's lead quarterback.

They were two of three people at the school who knew about Ben's gifts.

"Oh look," Phasma drawled. "Little Benny had another temper tantrum."

"Shut up, Phas." Ben sat down at the table with them. They weren't friends- exactly- but they were the closest thing he had since he lost Rey. "Either of you seen Rey this morning?"

"Oh look. He lasted all of five seconds before he asked about her," Hux observed. "Maybe he's getting over our favorite little scavenger."

"Don't call her that!" Ben slammed his hand on the table.

"I've seen her, Benny. Seen her collecting cans to sell. What else am I supposed to call her?"

This time it was with his own human hands that Ben reacted and not the power of his mind. He grabbed Hux by the throat and began to choke him. "Say one more thing about her and I swear to the Force I'll kill you, Hux."

"Let him go, Benny," Phasma warned. "He's not much but I like to keep him around. "Hux, try not to bait him. We saw Rey come in and leave just a few minutes ago. Poe ratted her out and the school called DCFS on her."

"What?! What happened?! What happened to Rey?!" He looked around desperately. "Where's Poe? I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kriffing kill him." He let Hux go.

"Her crazy uncle left a month ago. The scav- er, Rey- has been living on her own ever since. She apparently told Poe last night and he called DCFS."

"He's in the nurse's office. Apparently Rey broke his nose when DCFS showed up."

"Fine. I'll kill him later. Where's Rey? You said she left. Where did she go?"

"You're her best buddy, Solo. You tell us." Hux rubbed his throat. It was red from Ben's grip. "Or at least you were. Why do you even care? She hates you. She's said it often enough."

"Because he's in love with her, dolt," Phasma pointed out. "Rey broke free from DCFS and bolted. Couldn't have been more than ten minutes ago."

"Jakku," Ben said, more to himself than the others. "She's going back there." He got up. "Thanks. I've got to go."

"He's going after her, isn't he?" Hux asked.

"Of course he is. You're learning."

Ben stopped and looked back at them. "Yes, I'm in love with Rey. I'm an idiot, but at least I'm honest about it. You two have been crushing on each other since middle school and both of you have been to Porg-crap to say a word about it. Don't make my mistake; tell each other before it's too late because you don't know what it's like to lose the person you love more than anything else in the world."

_Why am I wasting time on them? Rey! Got to get to Rey!_

He dashed back out to his car, jumped in, and roared out of the high school parking lot through the small streets of Coruscant. He knew the town like the back of his hand, and took every shotcut he knew, but it was still minutes before he reached the Jakku junkyard.

Rey had lived there since she came to town. She had lived with her no-account Uncle Plutt since she was a little girl. The bastard kept a roof over her head, but that was about it. A lot of times Rey wouldn't eat if she didn't collect enough scrap metal to pay for her own food.

He had never reported how badly Plutt treated Rey because she begged him not to. She didn't want to go back into foster care. "He's an asshole, but he doesn't beat me and he doesn't try to touch me- that's about all I can hope for, Ben."

As he neared the junkyard, he heard a semi engine sputtering to life.

_The Falcon! She got the Millennium Falcon running!_

The _Falcon_ had been his father's first truck back when he had been a solo operator. Somewhere along the lines he'd lost it- he _swore_ that he didn't lose it in a card game- and Ben had thought it gone forever until he found it in the Jakku junkyard while walking around there with Rey. Rey was good with her hands, good with cars and trucks, and he had been paying her to restore the _Falcon_ as a present for his father. It was the only way Rey would accept money from him, and maybe it would heal the breach that had formed between his father and himself that had been growing ever since Ben's gift developed.

Now Rey had found another use for the _Falcon._ In that old big rig, no one would be able to stop her from crossing the county line.

He drifted the Charger into the Junkyard's exit (fortunately there was only one). She would have to go through it- through him- if she was going to get away.

The _Falcon_ sputtered like an angry hippo. Rey looked down at him from the cab. "Solo?! What the hell are you doing here?"

"Rey- don't go! I can't let you go! I love-"

"No! No!" Rey wailed. "You don't get to say that to me now, Ben Solo! You tore out my kriffing heart out! You don't get to say you love me now! You don't have the kriffing right! Now get out of my way!"

"No."

"No? I swear to Force I'll drive right through you, Solo! Get the kriff out of my way!"

"Without you I'm dead already. I'm not moving."

Rey backed the _Falcon_ up. "Last chance, Solo. I'm going. You can't stop me!"

"No." He can feel her rage. Her pain. It makes him weep. "I can't lose you now, Rey. I can't!"

"You already have!" And she slammed her foot on the gas pedal.

_Kriff! She's really going to do it!_

Ben tried to shield himself from the impact, but he felt his car crumple like an accordion and the world went black for a moment. When it cleared, he was laying on the ground and Rey was above him frantically wiping blood away from his face. "Ben... Ben …"

"I'm okay, Rey. Just don't leave me. Please." He reached out and grabbed her face and tried to pull her in for a kiss but she was having none of it and pushed back against him.

"Ben, you're an idiot." She forced herself to breathe calmer. "The glass didn't get in your eyes, but you're going to have a nasty scar on the side of your face." She gave him a crooked smile. "Still think I'm worth it?"

"Force, yes! Don't you know how I feel about you, Rey? Can't you _feel_ it?"

"Ben … you shut me out, remember? I can't let you back in. It nearly killed me. You left me, Ben Solo. My parents abandoned me. Uncle Plutt eventually bailed without even saying goodbye. Even Poe betrayed me- but you were supposed to always be there. You were supposed to never leave me- you promised me you would never leave me- and then you ran. Why, Ben? You don't like girls? Is it because I'm not pretty enough? Not _girly_ enough? Too poor or too short? You broke my kriffing heart, Ben Solo. How can I let you back in now?"

"Rey … I like girls. I like _you._ I _love_ you. I told you about my Gift just like you told me about yours. You're beautiful- you're perfect. You're everything I want and need! I love you, Rey Plutt. I always have. I always will."

"Then why-?"

"I'm a monster, Rey. I'm going to be a monster."

"Because of your Gift? If that makes you a monster I am too-"

"No, Rey. No. Not that." He shut his eyes for a moment. "You remember hearing about Darth Vader and Palpatine? Their Empire Gang?"

"Yeah. They're the reason we have to keep our Gift a secret- because normal people are terrified of people like us. They totally destroyed Alderaan City."

"You know my Mom is adopted, right?"

"Yes. She and your Uncle Luke Skywalker found each other and helped take down Vader and Palpatine. That's when they found out that they were related. That's when your parents met. You only told me that story a dozen times. What does that have to do with us?"

"Darth Vader killed Mom's birth mother."

"Oh, Ben, I'm so sorry-"

"You know how their dad's name was Anakin Skywalker?" He closed his eyes. "That's the name he had when he married Grandmother. But he took another one later- Anakin Skywalker _was_ Darth Vader!"

"Ben- it doesn't matter to me. I don't even remember my parents. You seriously think finding out that your grandfather was Darth Vader would make me not want you? You aren't him, Ben."

This was the hard part. "Before they fired him, Mr. Snoke- our old guidance counselor- he showed me my private file. That's where I found out about Grandfather Anakin being Darth Vader. I saw my therapist notes. My parents' therapy sessions- they're afraid that I'm going to become another Darth Vader. That's why I spent part of the summer with Uncle Luke. He told them he could help me- but he saw my future. He saw what I would become, Rey. He was so terrified by what I would become that he almost suffocated me with a pillow. He just barely stopped himself in time."

"Force, Ben. That's all kriffed up."

"I was going to tell you... but you kissed me. And all I could think of was me becoming another Darth Vader. Killing you like he killed Grandmother. If Uncle Luke with all his power can't see any other fate for me- there's no hope. I'm going to be a monster. That's my fate. That's my destiny. And that's why I ran from you- so you wouldn't get caught up in it."

She stared at him for a moment then she bent down and kissed him savagely. "Kriff destiny, Ben Solo. Kriff your uncle and you parents and Snoke and everyone else. You aren't a monster, Ben Solo. I know you better than anyone alive. And you are not going to become a monster."

"Rey, you can't know that-"

She kissed him again.

"We're going to get you to the hospital. We're going to get your face taken care of. And then I'm going to face the music with DCFS. But you know who I am, Ben Solo?"

"The most amazing girl I know."

"Well, yes. That too." She kissed him again. "I'm the girl who isn't leaving you. I'm the girl who isn't giving up on you."

And she never did.


	2. Matt the Radar Tech

Matt the Radar Technician- he had to think of himself that way because if he even _thought_ of his true identity he'd not be able to do this- sat alone at a table in the cantina at Mos Eisley. There was a drink on the table, but he hadn't touched it. He'd been waiting two hours, and his Resistance contact had yet to show up.

_Fifteen more minutes. Fifteen more minutes and then I'll go._

He had been telling himself that for an hour.

Finally, _she_ comes.

_Her? They had to send_ _**her?** _

A dark haired girl in white, pretty, with a light saber on her hip and a medal staff on her back. She stood in the doorway, waiting for her eyes to adjust. It didn't take long. She'd grown up on a desert world like this.

Finally she stepped inside.

He raised his arm up to help her find him.

She walked smoothly over, confident and graceful. "Hello. I'm-"

"Rey. I know." He didn't look in her eyes. He didn't dare look in her eyes.

Force, but he wanted to look in her eyes.

"And you're-?"

She didn't know him. Didn't recognize him. Good. "Matt. Matt the Radar Technician that's all you need to know."

"All right. Sorry I'm late. I ran into some First Order troopers on the way here ..."

"I don't want to know."

"Right then. Maz Kanata said you wanted to help the Resistance. How?"

He slid a data chip across the table to her. "The First Order has some supply dumps cached through the outer rim worlds. Fuel. Food. Water. Medical supplies. Not a lot, but enough to keep you going. They're only guarded by Droids and the chip has the access codes you'll need to get by them."

"Thank you." She took the chip and tried to catch his eyes. "You're helping us. Why?"

"Years ago a girl asked me to leave the First Order. I made the biggest mistake in a life full of epic mistakes: I didn't. She's with the Resistance."

_Don't look in her eyes. Force don't let me look in her eyes …_

_"_ Why don't you come with me? I'm sure she'd want to see you again ..."

"It's too late. She found someone else."

"I'm sorry."

"So am I."

"Kylo Ren … have you seen him? How is he?" There was pain in her voice, and it took all his strength not to look up again.

"I've seen him. He's the same. Filled with pain and anger and regret. Alone." He let himself look up for a moment. "So terribly alone."

Their eyes met.

His name- his _true_ name- was on her lips.

"You should go now. It's not safe for you here."

"Come with me."

"I can't. We both know why."

She bites her lip and nods. "Goodbye … Matt."

"Goodbye, Rey."

She didn't look back when she left. She didn't dare. If she let herself do that she knew she wouldn't be able to leave him at all.

She walked through the doors and stood underneath the double suns of Tatooine, pretending that it was the bright sunlight that made her eyes water.

He _knew._

He knew she had chosen someone else, and he still helped them. Helped her. He still cared for her.

He still loved her.

She wanted to stay, but she didn't. She couldn't. She had made her choice the same day that he had made his.

"Oh, Ben," she whispered. "If only you had come with me. We could have been _happy._ "

But he didn't. And they weren't. And nothing could change that now.

She left him once more. As she always had. As she always would. She left him behind her along with part of her heart, part of her soul.

And with his gift of life clasped tightly in her hand, Rey made her way back to the _Millennium Falcon._ Back to her friends. Back to her husband.

Back to Poe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I loved Poe in the Force Awakens. He was one of the bright spots in the movie. I love Poe with Finn. I didn't like how Poe acted in TLJ and I don't like him with Rey. But I'm not going to be surprised if that's what happens in the last movie sadly. "Matt the Radar Technician" was a SNL Skit where Kylo Ren went on the TV Show Undercover Boss.


	3. Pop Princess and Dark Knight of Rock

Rey was thirteen years old the first time she fell in love with Ben Solo. Thirteen the first time she kissed him. Thirteen the first time he broke her heart.

 _Ben Solo and the Jedi Academy_ is the music of her childhood. A foster child who couldn't remember her parents, who didn't even know her real last name, she only had three things that belonged to her: a battered doll, an old MP3 player filled with their songs, and a singing voice that can make angels weep. Whenever she was scared or alone (which was often) she would sing along to Ben Solo's earnest voice and imagine what it would be like to sing along with him.

When she turns thirteen her wish comes true.

 _The Jedi Academy was_ on tour to promote their latest album, a greatest hits collection. Their heyday was years ago, but they still manage to pack the largest arena in the state. The price of a ticket was as far out of Rey's reach as the moon, but she gathered her courage and entered the singing contest at the local mall. Much to her surprise, she won- the prize being a chance to meet _Jedi Academy_ and sing with them onstage.

They're older when she meets them, and most of them don't quite live up to her dreams. Ginger Hux is a whiny perfectionist, insisting that their equipment be placed _just so_. Phasma ignores the starstruck young girl after grunting a hello as she takes a few practice licks on her drums. Poe flirts with her outrageously until she tells him her age and then retreats back to tuning his guitar in embarrassed silence.

Ben is different than she imagined he would be.

He's no longer the innocent-looking boy of the YouTube videos she's watched beyond counting. He's older, even taller. His adorably large ears are hidden by a mass of coal black hair. There's frustration in his eyes, and his lips seem frozen in a frown. He comes on the stage like a caged lion and she half expects him to start tearing the place apart with his bare hands.

But he surprised her.

He _sees_ her. It's the first time in her life it feels like someone is looking at her like she's not a burden. That she's not worthless. That she isn't nobody or nothing.

For the first time in her life, Rey feels _seen._

"I watched the contest. You've got a beautiful voice." He sat down at the piano. "Let's see what you can do, Rey."

"You know my name?" She was absurdly, shyly, pleased that he did.

"Told you. I _watched_ the contest." He flashes a smile at her, and she feels entire face grow hot. "Sing something for me."

And she does. She sings _Luminous_ for him. It's one of his signature songs. The one he sings solo while the rest of the band is changing costumes and setting up equipment. She can't stop staring at him, watching the way his fingers seem to dance over the keys as though he were coaxing the music from the piano rather than playing it himself.

When it's over, the band claps.

"Looks like someone's got a crush," Phasma observed.

Rey blushed even harder than she did before.

"Oh, honey. I wasn't talking about you." And she smirked at Ben.

It was Ben's turn to blush then, and he looked away from them all for a moment.

The contest said the band only had to let her sing one song. Ben insists that she do three. _Luminous_ of course; the hilarious and bouncy _Coarse Sand_ , and finally she gets to sing the finale with them: _May The Force Be With You._

The crowd loves her. She feels more _alive_ than she ever had in her entire life, and she knows that this is how she wants to spend the rest of her life: on stage, singing. And part of her- the part of her that knows it's foolish but dares to think it anyway- wants _Ben_ to be beside her every step of the way.

After the show is over, Rey was invited to the after party. With Ben- and surprisingly _Poe_ of all people- keeping an eye on her making sure that no one got the young girl alone in a dangerous position- she met Ben's father Han and his mother Leia. His Uncle Luke was _Jedi Academy's_ manager, and once or twice Rey saw Ben and Luke arguing vehemently with each other.

When the party was over- far later than a girl who had a family that _cared_ about her would have been allowed to stay- Ben himself took her home. Riding his red and black motorcycle with her arms around him, Rey felt safer than she had ever been … and more in danger of losing her way than ever before. She was acutely aware that Ben Solo was a grown man … and that she was totally in his power once he got her alone from everyone.

But somehow, it felt like she was exactly where she should be.

He took her home the long way … displaying a bravado and skill that made her question his sanity … but finally … reluctantly … he brought her back to the home of her foster parents.

"I'm glad we met, Rey," he said when she got off the motorcycle.

"Me too."

They looked into each other's eyes for a moment, and then he bent down … to kiss her on the cheek or maybe her forehead … and Rey surprised both him- and herself- by kissing him quickly on the lips.

His eyes widened in surprise and perhaps _something_ else."Rey, you shouldn't have done that."

"I know," she admitted. "I'm sorry, but this is just another night for you. I'm a nobody that you'll forget but I'm going to remember this night forever."

"I don't think I'll ever forget you, Rey," he said with a smile. "And you'll always be somebody to me."

She watched him ride away until he was out of sight.

A week later he breaks her heart by destroying _Jedi Academy._

He leaves the band along with Hux and Phasma and forms _Kylo and the Knights of Ren._

She keeps singing after that … posting her songs on YouTube until finally Luke Skywalker signs on as her manager. She's seventeen then, and within a year Luke has made her the next pop princess, performing hit after hit like _Nobody_ and _Jakku Girl._ The next single she releases is _Scavenger_ and it has more bite than her other songs. Luke isn't happy with her, but he doesn't try to talk her out of releasing it.

Days after _Scavenger_ hits the top ten, Han Solo has a heart attack. As one of his best friends and brother in law, Luke went to visit him. Because Luke has become the closest thing to a father she's ever known, Rey goes with him. They visited Han and Leia in their mansion … Leia was a US Senator, and inherited a great deal of wealth from her adoptive parents. Han runs a small private airline along with his best friend Chewbacca.

Much to her surprise, she sees Ben Solo waiting downstairs when they arrive.

Ben is dressed in black and red, sitting by the piano. He looks at them when they walk in, and Rey sees a spark of recognition in his eyes (obviously from seeing her perform because there's no way he could remember the shy girl he sang with one special night). "Chewie and Mom are with him right now. He's asleep."

Luke nodded, and the tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. "How are you, Ben … or should I say Kylo?"

Ben shrugged. "I'm doing well, thank you. _Chosen One_ just hit number one." He glanced at Rey and she felt that same electric thrill she'd known the first time he met her. "Though I wouldn't be surprised if _Scavenger_ knocks us off." He nodded at Rey. "I like it. It's different than your other songs. Better."

"I'm surprised. I would have thought it needed more blood and thunder to appeal to you, Nephew."

"You'll find I'm full of surprises, Uncle."

Luke and Ben looked at each other for a long moment … long enough to make Rey uncomfortable. "I'm going to see if I can see Han," Luke finally said, nodding to Ben. "Rey?"

"I'll stay here if that's all right with you, Luke." _Force! I'm not a kid anymore. Why am I feeling this way from someone who won't even remember me?_

"Fine. I'll be down soon." Luke walked off with a stiffness in his gait Rey didn't normally see.

Ben idly began playing on the piano. "I told you that you had a beautiful voice, Rey."

And he's playing _Luminous._

"You remember me?" She's childishly delighted as she sits down beside him at the piano.

"I told you that I would never forget you."

She slips her hands between his and starts playing the song with him. "I haven't forgotten you either, Ben. That was one of the best nights of my life."

"Mine too." He smiled at her.

They play for a while … and Rey is somehow not surprised that they are able to share the keyboard without one misstep. Where one leaves off the other picks up.

"Why did you leave _Jedi Academy?_ " She had to ask.

"It was bubblegum music. Oh, we were good and I always did the best job I could, but how many of our songs will stand the test of time? Twenty years from now no one will even remember _Jedi Academy_ existed."

"I will," Rey promised softly. "A lot of the time _Jedi Academy_ 's music was the only thing that I ever got to take with me when I left foster home after foster home. It kept me sane."

"Then I suppose it was worthwhile after all." Ben smiled at her. "But _Knights of Ren_ … we're not performing to a formula. I can write what I want. Play what I want. I've never felt so free."

"I'm happy for you." And she tried to be, but she's disappointed too. She recognizes the skill in the music, but _Kylo and the Knights of Ren_ perform a darker type of music than she likes. It reminds her of parts of her life she wants to forget. "Ben … are you seeing anyone?"

"Not at the moment, no." He paused in playing the piano. "You?"

"No." She paused for a moment. "Would you like to go out for dinner sometime?"

"Rey-"

"I'm an adult now, Ben." She smiled at him. "And I'd really like to see you again …" and she nodded to his father's room "... when things are less complicated."

"They'll always be complicated with my family, but I'd like to see you again, Rey." He smiled. "I'd like that a lot."

They fall into each other so quickly, so completely, that Rey can't imagine a life without Ben Solo in it. His relationship with his family remains tense- especially with Luke- but her manager doesn't try to interfere with their relationship.

She made him happy. She knew that. It gave her a curious sense of power.

Six months after they made love the first time Ben asked her to join _Kylo and the Knights of Ren._

She wants to be with him, but she doesn't want the music the _Knights_ make. She asked him to come on tour with her instead.

He ...didn't take her refusal well.

They argue and then they scream and Ben rides off into the night again.

This time, she knows it's _his_ heart that's broken.

When she turns nineteen she's angry that Ben wasn't there with her the way he had promised to be. She writes a song filled with anger and pain- _You're a Monster-_ and performs in the video with a violence that leaves her fans- and Luke- abashed. Ironically, it's the closest thing to a _Knights of Ren_ song she ever wrote.

She doesn't care about the reaction from anyone else.

Ben had left her. He had hurt her so deeply that rage was the only thing that kept her from collapsing.

Ben retaliated with a ballad: _You Said I Wasn't Alone Anymore._

She hated it. She hated the way it makes her feel. She hated the way it made her hurt.

And because life has a way of being ridiculously painful, they wind up in competition for best song of the year.

Award night, and she was on stage to sing the song that epitomized what her life had become without Ben Solo in it. She was practically in tears by the time she finished.

Before she could walk off the stage, Ben walked onto it. His eyes hold her. He looks at her for a moment and then gestures to his band mates to begin to play.

They don't play _You Said I Wasn't Alone Anymore._

At first Rey thought they were going to mock her by playing her song in _Knights of Ren_ fashion, but this … this was different. It wasn't music filled with anger as her version had been … it's filled with pain and regret.

It's the final lyrics that brought tears to her eyes. Ben changed them: " _You say I'm a monster and I guess that's true/But don't you know/I'm the monster that will always belong to you?"_

She ran across the stage and into his arms, giving him a kiss that brings the entire audience to their feet in applause.

"Ben, Ben," she whispers desperately.

"I can't change and I don't want to change you, Rey. Can't we just be together and stay the same?"

Her answer was another passionate kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah. I went there.


	4. Rey Writes Her Own Ending

For what seemed like an eternity, the light saber hung between them.

_We're too evenly matched,_ Rey thought with dismay.

He had gotten stronger or she had gotten weaker, perhaps. She did not want to hurt him- did not want him to hurt her. She was supposed to save him … how could she leave him behind- but she could not stay. Would not become what he wanted her to be.

She narrowed her jaw in determination. The light saber would break before she would.. She _would not give in._

And then she saw the torment in Kylo Ren's eyes as he lowered his arm and allowed her to claim his grandfather's light saber.

They stared at each other for a long moment.

"There's an escape pod. Take it. I have no authority with the military. Hux will countermand any order that I make. You have to get away. I'll do what I can."

"What are you going to do?" Why did her voice sound like this? So … frail. She had _won_ … hadn't she?

No. She hadn't won. Kylo Ren … _Ben_ had given up.

"I'll cause the engines to implode. It will take out the Dreadnought. That will give the Resistance time to regroup and escape."

"How … how will you get off the ship before it explodes?"

"I won't."

He said it calmly … almost eagerly. As though he were looking forward to oblivion.

"Ben ..." She fumbled for words. "Why?"

He looked at her tenderly … and _Force he had the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen._ "I was lying, Rey. You have never been nothing. You have a place in this story .. it's _your_ story. It always has been. This isn't the story of a villain being redeemed. It's the story of a hero rising. _You_ , Rey."

"Ben..." She was crying again. Force, this man had made her cry more in a few days than she had done in her entire life. How could he do this to her? How could he just _leave_? "Please don't do this."

"Tell them you killed Snoke and destroyed Kylo Ren." He gave her a crooked smile … the first he'd ever given her. "It's true … from a certain point of view."

"Tell me why, Ben." She swallowed hard. "If you're going to do this … if you're going to sacrifice your life for me … tell me why."

"I'm in love with you, Rey."

She stared at him in shock. "What?"

He came to her … and then he _kissed_ her. Quickly … briefly … as though he feared she would spurn his touch. "Goodbye, Rey."

And he turned to leave.

Rey touched her lips where his had touched hers. Her eyes narrowed in anger. She glared at his back. "Coward!"

He stopped. He didn't turn around, but he stopped.

"You don't get to do this to me, Ben Solo. You don't get to be the first person who told me they loved me … the first person to _kiss_ me and then walk off to your death leaving me all alone again. You don't get to do that."

"The Resistance has to be saved. You said it yourself."

"Then you find another way, Ben Solo. You find a way to save the Resistance without dying because I am not leaving this ship without you."

"Rey, you don't love me. You can't. You're being foolish."

"Why do _men_ have such a burning desire to tell me what I can and can't do? What I can and can't feel? You don't have the right, Ben Solo!" She walked up to him and stabbed a finger into his chest. "You are not dying today. You are going to have to suck it up and _live_ so I can figure out what this means to me- what _you_ mean to me."

He stared at her helplessly. "We could try to take the bridge?"

"Fine. Let's do that." Rey ignited her light saber. "Come on. Let's go, Solo."

"You are a very stubborn woman, Rey."

"You said it's my story. I'm going to write the kriffing end I want. Let's do this."

And off they went.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rey is really one of the stronger willed characters we've had in Star Wars, male or female. I can darn well believe she'd refuse to let Ben just waltz off to his doom.


	5. What Happens if we kiss?

Yavin 4.

 

In the two years Rey had been serving as Han Solo's Second Mate on the _Millennium Falcon_ this was the one world she had never been to … to be frank, the one world she _never_ wanted to go go.

 

But tomorrow morning Han's son Ben Solo would be taking the final oaths that would bind him to the Jedi Order forever, and Han wanted to be there. Rey knew that Han would have allowed her to miss this run if she had asked him, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. It was her last chance ….

 

_To do what?_ Rey asked herself. _Ben made his choice. He chose the Order over me. Over us. There's nothing left to say._ She glanced down at the ring on her finger. _And I made a promise to Poe …_

 

But it was Ben … and for Rey it would _always_ be Ben … so she went to him.

 

When the _Falcon_ landed on Yavin 4, there were two people waiting for them. Through the Force Rey could sense the powerful controlled presence of Luke Skywalker. And the other … the tall hooded figure who stood silently watching with his hands hidden behind thick Jedi Robes was Ben Solo. _Her_ Ben Solo.

 

_No. Not mine. He was never mine. I just thought he was._

 

Han Solo sauntered out of the _Falcon_ like a man half his age with Chewie and Rey trailing behind him. . "Luke, we brought some supplies for the Academy. Ben ..." He reached out to hug his son, then stopped himself and offered his hand to shake. "Leia wanted to come but there was a vital vote in the Senate that she had to be there for..."

 

"Hello, Father. Chewbacca. I understand." Ben's hand- he was wearing gloves Rey noticed with dismay- reached out and shook his father's. His voice was devoid of feeling of any kind. "Rey."

 

Was it her imagination or was there _something_ in the way he said her name. "Ben."

 

She knew her own voice trembled, and she was trying to find his eyes underneath his hood, but the shadows were a mask for him.

 

"Rey's a great second mate," Han said in a conversational tone of voice. "I'm going to hate to lose her, but a married woman can't spend all her time kicking around the Outer Rim."

 

"Married?" There was a catch in Ben's voice. She was sure of it. Even though she couldn't see them, she could feel his eyes burning into hers.

 

Rey held out her hand, showing him the engagement ring she wore. "Poe Dameron. We're going to be married next week."

 

"Congratulations," Ben said awkwardly. "Poe's a good man. I'm sure the two of you will be very happy together."

 

"Yes," Rey said, fighting back her tears. "I'm sure we will."

 

"Rey, if you could unload the _Falcon_ I'd appreciate it. Chewie and I are going to hash out some old times with Luke."

 

"Ben," Luke said in a mild tone. "Why don't you help her? The two of you haven't seen each other in years. It will do you good to catch up as well."

 

"Yes, Master Luke."

 

Chewbacca gave Ben a rough hug that Rey was pleased to see Ben return- and then joined the older men as they walked into Luke's hut.

 

"I'll get the cart," Ben finally said after they stared at each other for what seemed like forever to Rey.

 

"Fine," Rey said with a brisk nod. "I'll go open the main hold. It's-"

 

"I know where it is. I grew up on that ship." She could _almost_ hear a smile in his voice.

 

"I forgot." She hadn't, really. She had just been fumbling for words. Trying to find something that would keep her from saying what she was afraid she would say if the silence lasted too long.

 

He brought a cart and it wasn't long before they were loading it up. They were doing it the old fashioned way, using human muscle.

 

"Why didn't you use the Force?" Ben asked her. "You haven't stopped using it have you?" There was concern in his voice. "Just because you decided not to be a Jedi is no reason to cut yourself off from the Force."

 

"Normally I do." Rey wiped some sweat off her face. "I just wanted this to last longer. Why didn't you?"

 

She sensed a smile underneath his hood. "For the same reason. I didn't want our time together to end too soon."

 

"Why are you wearing that hood?"

 

"Because I'm trying to let go of all detachments. Tomorrow morning I become a Jedi master, and that will be forbidden to me."

 

"That's tomorrow morning. _Ben._ " There was raw need in her voice. She knew it. "I _need_ to see you."

 

He looked at her for a moment, and then lowered his hood.

 

He looked the same as he always had. He might have learned to control his voice, even his face- but those eyes of his- his eyes had always told her the truth.

 

"Why?" Rey finally asked him.

 

"Why what?""

 

"Why do this? Luke isn't asking this of you. He doesn't require his Jedi to take the ancient oaths. Why are you doing this to yourself?" Unspoken: _why are you doing this to me?_

 

"Master Luke says I hold on too tightly. That my emotions are too strong. Luke needs someone to succeed him as Jedi Master someday. Someone who can train the generations to come so they avoid the temptations of the Dark Side." He shrugged. "It's what my family always wanted for me."

 

"What does Ben Solo want?" She bit her lip as she said that. Why ask something if she feared the answer so badly.

 

"I can't answer that," Ben finally said softly.

 

"Why not?"

 

"Why didn't you stay? You could have made a great Jedi- maybe the greatest of our generation. But you left the Order." _You left me._

 

"I had to. It asked something of me I couldn't give up."

 

"Attachment."

 

"Yes. I spent more than half my life waiting for family that never came back for me. The day you crashed on Jakku … the day you helped the Scavengers free themselves from Unkar Plutt … that was the first day of my life where I felt I had a _place_ ..." Rey could feel the tears running down her face. "I thought my place would always be at _your_ side!"

 

"I couldn't train you," Ben said softly. "I could never have let go if you were with me."

 

"This is the wrong path for you, Ben Solo." She walked over to his side. She reached out to touch his face- but he took his hands with his gloved ones. "Search your feelings. You know it's true."

 

"You were so young. Still just a child. You didn't realize how badly you _tempted_ me."

 

"Do you really think I'm going to pretend I was innocent, Ben?" She bit her lip again. "If only you weren't such a moral, moral man ..."

 

"Do you love Poe?"

 

It was as if he had slapped her. She pulled her hands free, turned her back on him. "Poe loves me. I care about him a lot."

 

"Do you love him?"

 

"What do you think, Ben?" She was shaking now.

 

He pulled her closer, into his arms, into his warmth. "Rey ..."

 

"Kiss me, Ben."

 

"What?" She heard the hiss of his breath, as though she had just stabbed him with a light saber.

 

"Kiss me."

 

"I can't."

 

"Why not?"

 

"Poe-"

 

"Poe isn't here. Your uncle isn't here. Right now it's just you and me. One kiss, Ben. Call it a goodbye present. One kiss and then you go say your damn oaths and forget all about me. I'll marry Poe Dameron and we'll pretend that nothing about us was ever really real. One kiss. You owe me that much, Ben Solo."

 

"One kiss..." Ben said, turning her about so they were facing each other. "What _would_ happen if we kissed...?"

 

"Kiss me and find out, Ben Solo. Kiss me or spend the rest of your life wondering what would have been." She closed her eyes and tilted her head towards him.

 

..*..

 

Ten minutes later, Luke, Han, and Chewbacca heard the Falcon's engines as the old freighter roared into the sky.

 

Chewbacca held out his hand.

 

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, Fuzzball." Han was grinning as he said it and pulled out a thick wad of credits that he stuffed into Chewie's hands.

 

"What are they doing?" Luke wondered, though his face said he knew exactly what had happened.

 

They wandered back out to the landing pad. On top of the supplies that Ben and Rey had so carefully unloaded were Ben's neatly folded Jedi robes and gloves. Next _to that was a hastily scrawled letter addressed to Poe Dameron with the ring he had given Rey on top of that._

 

"They took the _Falcon_ ," Luke said. "They stole the _Falcon._ "

 

"No they didn't. I left the keys in the ignition." Han smirked. "Just in case. Looks like you're going to have to find another successor, old buddy."

 

"I guess I will." Luke didn't look too unhappy about it. "What about the _Falcon?_ "

 

"I'd give up a thousand _Falcons_ if it meant my son would finally get to be happy," Han Solo said with a smile. "And Rey too. They both deserve it."

 

"They do," Luke agreed as he watched the _Falcon_ disappear into the sky. "You made the right choice, Ben. May the Force be with you- always."

 

And he smiled.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: So, think of this as an AU where Snoke never rose to power, but Ben met Rey on Jakku because of course he did.


	6. Married to the Space Mob

Standing in front of Unkar Plutt, the undisputed Crime Boss of Jakku, Ben Solo was seriously starting to regret his decision not to become a Jedi. If he had a light saber right now ….

But there was no use crying over spilled blue milk …

"Let's try this again, Mr. Plutt. My friend Chewbacca here"- and the Wookie gave an affirmative grunt- "tells me that you have both my father and his ship the _Millennium Falcon._ For reasons that escape me, my mother wants me to bring them both back home. What will it take for us to strike a deal? I'm prepared to pay a reasonable amount of credits for both-"

"I have all the credits I need, young Solo. And I don't have to pay for anything I want on Jakku." The so-called Blobfish settled back in his chair and scratched his neck. "That doesn't mean I won't strike a deal. You just have to offer what I want."

Ben sighed. He was a tall young man, currently dressed much like his father. His hair was too long for a hot world like Jakku. He badly needed a shower … as did apparently everyone else on this kriffing planet. "What do you want?"

Unkar sighed and looked at Ben contemplatively. "Your mother is Senator Organa, is she not?"

"Yes. Yes she is."

"Are you married, young Solo?"

"Um, no." If Dad thought he'd marry this thug to rescue him then he'd better be prepared to rot on this Force forsaken planet …

"I have a daughter, Young Solo. The Desert Rose of Jakku. My little Rey of Sunshine. I promised her mother- God rest her soul- that I would see to it that our little girl would be respectable and a proper young lady. You want your father and that ship? You agree to marry Rey."

Ben Solo's mind boggled at the thought of spending the rest of his life married to a female version of Plutt. "Um … Mr. Plutt, how do you know your daughter would even want to marry me?"

"She'll do what I ask." Unkar frowned as though he was not entirely sure he believed that. "All I ask is that you marry her, give her a respectable last name, and spend a year introducing her to society. Once that's over, the two of you can get a divorce."

Well that wouldn't be so bad. As long as he didn't have to stay married to her … or consummatethe marriage. He could probably do a year. Mom wasn't in great health, and she didn't want to go with things left unsettled in the family.

Ah, kriff it.

"Okay. Provided she's up to it, I'll do it." _And that old man had better never forget it either. He's going to treat Mom like a kriffing queen after this or I'll kill him myself._

"Very well, I'll go fetch Rey and your father. Wait right here."

The guards were even larger than Chewie.

"Not like I can go anywhere, Mr. Plutt."

Ben comforted himself with a slightly morbid fantasy of stabbing his father with a light saber … maybe tossing him off a bridge … while he waited for Unkar to return. He had a contented smile on his face when Unkar returned with his father.

"Hey, son. Great to see you again." Han offered a wane smile. "Did Unkar tell you about the deal?"

"You knew about it?"

"I suggested it!" Han said proudly.

Ben began to think that maybe his little fantasy wouldn't remain a fantasy … kriff it, Mom would never forgive him … when the door to Unkar's off slammed open and a tiny humanoid whirlwind in white stalked through the door.

"Daddy! What the kriff are you thinking?!" The obviously human- and very attractive- young girl stopped glaring at Unkar to cast a hostile glare at a stunned Ben. "What are you gaping at, you human AT-AT?"

"You're Rey?" Ben blurted out.

"Yes. I'm Rey Plutt. Want to make something of it?" The girl had a staff strapped to her back and looked quite willing to take it in hand to beat the hell of him.

"But he- you – ?"

"I'm adopted. Got a problem with that, beak face?!"

"Gently, Rey," Unkar cautioned. "The young man is our guest."

"What do you want me here for, Daddy? I was on my way to salvage that destroyer on Suicide Ridge."

"You don't have to do that, Rey. I hire scavengers for that."

"And if I do it we don't have to pay for it. Honestly, you want me to be broke when you die? You're far too tender hearted, Daddy!"

"Rey-"

_"I have a bad feeling about this,"_ Chewie growled.

Rey glared at him. "I could use a Wookie skin rug, furball. Just keep talking."

"Rey, darling," Unkar began timidly. "I have something I want you to do."

"You want me to beat him up?" Rey asked hopefully, glaring at Ben.

"No, no. Not that at all. Young ladies should only beat up people when they don't have employees for that. You know how bad the boys feel if you keep them from doing their jobs."

"Milksops!" Rey growled. "Why am I here, Daddy? Get to the point."

"I want you to marry Mr. Solo."

" _Him?"_ Rey glared at Han. "That old fossil?! He belongs in a museum!"

"Not me," Han sputtered. "I already have a wife. He means my son Ben here." Han hastily stepped behind Ben.

"That's almost as bad!" Rey looked Ben up and down. "Take off your shirt."

"What?!" Ben demanded.

"If Daddy wants me to seriously consider marrying you, I want a look at the merchandise. Take that shirt off, flyboy."

Han looked helplessly at Ben.

"Kriffing-" Ben growled as he took his shirt off.

Rey whistled. "Okay, not bad. Not bad at all." She walked up and ran a hand up and down Ben's chest. "Daddy, why do you want me to marry this hunk of meat?" A worried look came across the girl's face and she ran over to the Crime Boss. "You're not sick, are you? I told you that you need to start seeing a doctor!"

"I'm fine, little girl." Unkar patted her shoulders. "Young Solo is the son of Leia Organa. If you marry him, you'll have a place in Galactic Society. You can get out of this sandbox and have the life your mother always wanted for you."

"I want to stay here with you." Rey laid her head on her father's shoulder. "You always took care of me. I don't need society. I have you and the boys."

"Rey," Unkar said gently. "You can't stay here forever. You're meant for more. I want you to do this for me."

"Daddy-" Rey gave him a stubborn look.

"Just for a year, sweetness. If you don't like it, you can come back home." Unkar hugged her. "You'll always be my little girl. But this is for the best, and I want you to have the best. I want you to have the life I can't give you. That's what a good father always wants: for his children to be happy."

Ben glared at Han.

Han had the decency to look ashamed.

"All right," Rey said finally. "If that's what you want. I'll try it. But only for a year." She glanced over at Ben again. "Well, flyboy?"

"The name's Ben."

"Fine. Well, Ben? What are you waiting for?" Rey put her hands on her hips again and glared at the tall young man. "Make with the proposal!"

"What?"

"You don't think I'm going to get married without a proposal, do you? What kind of girl do you think I am?"

"Don't answer that," Han whispered quickly to Ben.

Ben rolled his eyes. "Fine. So … Miss Plutt …" And looking at the feisty young woman, Ben suddenly felt the Force surge through him. Or maybe it was breakfast. Chewie always used too much spice. "Um … would you do me the honor becoming my bride?"

"You didn't kneel."

Ben knelt. "Well?"

"You gotta ask again. You want to do this, you have to ask right. Take a knee."

_Wonderful._ Ben went down on one knee. "Miss Plutt..." Oh what the kriff. In for a penny … He took one of her hands. "Rey, would you do the honor of becoming my bride?"

As their hands touched, a vision flashed through Ben's mind of Rey … Rey and him … Rey and him … Rey and him doing …

Rey blushed suddenly.

"Don't be afraid," Ben whispered dazedly. "I feel it too."

"Okay," Rey said. "Okay, I'll marry you."

And when she smiled, Ben felt like maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all ….

He still wanted to kill Dad though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have this weakness about alternative universes where the bad guys aren't so bad. And I just wanted to write a silly "Married to the Mob" type ficlet.


	7. Super Heroes

< Prev 1\. High School 2\. Mos Eisley 3\. Pop Princess and Dark Knight of Rock 4\. Rey Writes Her Own Endings 5\. What Would Happen if We Kissed? 6\. Married to the Space Mob 7\. Super Heroes 8\. Amnesia 9\. Scoundrel Rey and Jedi Ben 10\. Give Her Away? 11\. Ordinary Ben, Chosen Rey 12\. Everything You Know Is Wrong Next >

 

Republic City was burning.

 

Kylo the Ren Knight stood no the rooftop and watched. He watched and tried to convince himself that this was what he wanted. He watched and tried to forget that he had spent his childhood saving this city.

 

_Padawan is as dead as the Jedi Knight,_ Kylo reminded himself. _As dead as Ben Solo. It's time to let old things die. It's time to watch the city my family spent three generations defending finally burn down to the ground. It's the only way I'll be free._

 

Hosnia Prime, heart of Republic City, was already a crater. General Hux and his Troopers were going street by street, destroying any resistance to their rule. It was only a matter of time before the city belonged to the First Order.

 

The Starbird Signal, symbol of the Rebellion, flashed defiantly into the night sky. They were calling for the Jedi Knight. Somehow- someone- somewhere- thought _he_ would save them.

 

Kylo smiled grimly. He knew that was a false hope. Luke Skywalker was dead, and there was no one left to become the next Jedi Knight.

 

_It's not too late. I can stop this. I can stop Hux and the First Order. It's what the Padawan would do._

 

"I'm not the Padawan any long," Kylo snarled to the young voice in his head. "Padawan died when the Jedi Knight betrayed him. Padawan died when Snoke turned me into the Ren Knight. It's too late."

 

As if to mock that declaration, Kylo heard a familiar whine in the sky as the Millennium _Falcon_ , his father's old airship, streaked into the sky. The Scoundrel was dead, but the The Wookie still lived; Kylo knew that.

 

Kylo tapped his com. "I want that ship blown out of the sky!"

 

_No! Chewie!_

 

"Shut up, Ben Solo," Kylo roared. "You're not real! You're a ghost! I'm Kylo! Only Kylo remains now! Ben Solo is dead!"

 

"A pity. I rather liked him."

 

The voice was cocky, young and female.

 

"Scavenger," Kylo growled, igniting his light saber. "Where are you, Rey? You really think you're ready for the big leagues now?"

 

"I'm not the Scavenger anymore, Ben." Rey somersaulted onto the rooftop and drew a light saber. "I'm the new Jedi Knight."

 

Kylo smirked. "You have a very high opinion of yourself."

 

"I didn't ask for this." Rey lowered her hood and removed the domino mask she wore as the new Jedi Knight. "I didn't ask for this power. But it's mine- and while I have it I'll use it to do what's right. To do what Luke would have done."

 

She ignited a light saber.

 

"So you made your own light saber." Kylo raised his own blood red blade in salute. "I'm proud of you."

 

And oddly enough, he was. From the moment they had met in Takodona Park, he had sensed the power in her … the strength. She was as powerful as he was in the Force.

 

"Luke helped me."

 

"Luke is dead."

 

"He is," Rey agreed. "He still helped me."

 

"You cannot defeat the First Order alone, Jedi Knight." Kylo circled her. "The New Republic of Heroes is gone. The Scoundrel is dead. The White Princess is old and weak. Do you really think that you and the Wookie can stop my army?"

 

"The Pilot and Rebel Trooper are with us as well," Rey countered. "The Purple Admiral decimated your airships. Even now, the Engineer is working on a weapon to take the rest of them out of the sky. As long as one Resistance member is alive, you will never have total power!"

 

"Then I'll just have to make sure that not one of you is left alive." Kylo attacked.

 

Rey countered his blows. "I sense the conflict within you … Ben."

 

"Ben Solo is as dead as Han Solo. As you soon will be."

 

"Will I?" Rey was a skilled fighter, but she could not stand up to his direct attacks. She was forced to dance around, to give back before his onslaughts.

 

"You will." Kylo paused. "Unless you kneel to me."

 

"I can't do that … Ben."

 

"I know." He did. Rey had the true spirit of the Jedi. She would never surrender to tyranny. She would never stop fighting to protect the innocent.

 

"The Padawan is still in you, Kylo. He fought for this city. He bled for this city. You really think that he's going to let it burn?"

 

"The Padawan was a weak and foolish boy. I destroyed him as I did the Scoundrel."

 

"His name was _Han_. He was your _father_ , Ben."

 

"He betrayed me like the White Princess did. He sent me to live with the Jedi Knight. He _abandoned_ me." Anger gave strength to Kylo's blows and he pushed Rey back to the edge of the roof.

 

"You were too strong in the Force, Ben. They only wanted to make sure you didn't become a monster."

 

"And look how well that turned out. Once Snoke captured me, Luke decided that I was beyond saving and he tried to kill me."

 

"A moment's weakness, Ben- he wouldn't have done it." Rey felt Ben's hand grab her shoulder and yank her safely away from the roof before she could fall. She tucked and rolled and came back into position just in time to meet his next blow. "I know they hurt you- but isn't who you are. You aren't a monster. You aren't a murderer."

 

"I am both a murderer and a monster. You said so, remember?"

 

"I also said you weren't alone … don't you remember that, Ben?"

 

"I remember," Kylo murmured. "I also remember how you left me. We killed Snoke. I wanted you at my side."

 

"I never wanted to rule. I never could stand beside Kylo Ren." Rey paused. "Ben Solo is another story. He's the one I've been waiting for all my life."

 

"Then you've been waiting in vain." With a quick flip of his wrist, Kylo disarmed her. "Kneel. Beg for your life, Jedi Knight."

 

"No." Rey looked into his eyes.

 

"Rey-" He was pleading now. Begging as he had in the throne room. "Please-"

 

"Padawan is a hero. Ben Solo is a good man. Snoke tried to bury him in Kylo Ren, but he's still there. He's been fighting to get out ever since I met you. You can defeat me. You can kill me. But you will never destroy Ben Solo. Sooner or later, he will break free."

 

"Rey-" Kylo raised the blade for a killing blow, but his hands were shaking. "Why are you doing this? Why won't you give up on me? With Republic City burning at my feet, why do you insist there is still good in me? Can't you see that my choice has been made?!"

 

"That's the thing about choices, Ben. They can be made again." Rey was crying now. "I can't give up on you, Ben. I will _never_ give up on you."

 

"My own mother has given up on me, Rey." He said it gently. "Can't you see that you're too late? There's nothing left for you to save. Pick up your light saber and finish this. Finish me."

 

_"No!"_ Rey screamed into his face. "I did not come here to kill you. I did not come here to die at your hands. That is not the way this ends! I _refuse_ to let it end this way! Do you hear me, Ben Solo? We are not ending this way! Not tonight!"

 

"How does it end, Rey?" He touched her face with his free hand. "Republic City is burning. You're the hero and I am the villain of this story. How can this end any other way than with one of us dead?"

 

Rey kissed him.

 

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her. Her mouth opened, inviting him in. Claiming him.

 

When the kiss was over, he looked into her eyes with a slightly dazed explanation. "I didn't expect that."

 

"I know." Rey smiled. "Maybe the Padawan is dead- but Ben Solo is still alive. Stay the Ren Knight if you have to- but do what you were born to do. Do what you have always done, Ben Solo: _save_ _the day!_ "

 

Kylo sighed. "You know we're outnumbered more than a hundred to one?"

 

"Yes."

 

"And we may not come out of this alive?"

 

"Yes."

 

"And there is no way in hell I am going back to wearing primary colors?"

 

"We'll talk about that later." Rey called her light saber back to her. She offered him her hand. "Together?"

 

Kylo took it. "Together."

 

And hand in hand, they jumped off the roof to do what heroes always do:

 

Save the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Star Wars characters as super heroes. What's not to like? :D


	8. Amnesia

Rey coughed as she came awake with a gasp.

The air was filled with smoke.

What had happened? The Praetorians … they had defeated the Praetorians. Ben had killed Snoke … Ben had killed Snoke … _for her_? She had that brief moment of hope … and then he had made another choice. He chose power over the Light.

Power over her.

They had struggled to claim Anakin Skywalker's light saber … neither of them willing to yield their claim …

And then there had been an explosion.

_Ben!_

She scrambled to her feet and looked through the carnage … the fire, the death … the dead bodies of the ones who had tried to kill her … had tried to kill Ben. Where was he?

There.

Rey ran to him. He was silent. So still. He wasn't moving.

Her fingers shook as she touched his neck … she nearly wept with relief when she found a pulse. He was alive. Ben was alive.

Ben was her … enemy.

Rey cursed.

While he lived, Ben … _Kylo Ren_ … was a threat to the Resistance. To Leia, Finn, and Poe. To Luke Skywalker. He was a threat to Rey herself.

( _She tried to make herself believe that, failed miserably. No matter what might happen, Rey believed in her bones that Ben could never hurt her._ _Not deliberately.)_

She could kill him now. It would give the Resistance the first real advantage they could have in this war … Just turn on his light saber and …

No.

Kylo Ren had been born the moment that Luke Skywalker had held a light saber over his defenseless nephew.

Rey wouldn't make that choice. She couldn't.

She fastened his light saber to his belt and stood up to leave …

And Ben groaned.

"Ben?" She was back at his side in an instant. What if he was hurt? What if something was wrong with him? He'd be defenseless …

His eyes opened and looked straight into hers.

Rey froze.

Anger she could understand, even expect. Regret or remorse she she would have welcomed. But this look … this look she was not expecting.

Confusion.

"Who are you?" he asked in a whisper. He rose awkwardly into a sitting position, looking around. "Where are we? This isn't the Temple! Where's Uncle- I mean, Master Luke?"

"Ben …" Rey reached through the Force. She could feel Ben … there was still Darkness in him … but somehow it was much fainter than it had been … muted somehow. And Ben … the anger and the guilt, the pain and the passion … it wasn't there any longer. Instead, she felt a kind of innocence within him. "Ben, my name is Rey. We're … friends." _Whatever we were on the verge of becoming … we were almost friends. I know he cared for me and I for him …_ "Do you know where you are? Do you know who you are?"

"I'm Ben Solo." He forced himself awkwardly to his feet. "Why am I wearing this ridiculous outfit? Where are we?" He stared at the carnage. "Force! What happened here?"

 _He doesn't remember,_ Rey realized. _He doesn't remember being Kylo._ And with a dull ache … _He doesn't remember_ _ **me.**_ "Ben, I promise I'll explain everything later, but we have to get off this ship. The Resistance-"

He stared at her blankly. "What Resistance?"

"Your mother. Your mother, Ben. She needs us. We have to get off this ship before anyone else comes. I know it's a lot, but I'm asking you to trust me. Come with me." She held her hand out. "Please."

Ben hesitated for a moment, but then he took her hand.

..**..

It didn't take Chewbacca long to find their escape pod.

They were huddled together … a closeness that seemed to make Ben uncomfortable. For Rey herself, it was bittersweet. This was Ben … but not _her_ Ben. Not the Ben Solo- not the Kylo Ren- who had told her that she needed a teacher, that had told her she wasn't alone …

"This is the _Millennium Falcon,_ " Ben said with an excited whisper as they were taken into the hold. "This is my father's ship. Dad came to get us?" There was an excited, almost youthful, look on Ben's face. "Dad came to get _me_?"

Rey waited put a hand on Ben's shoulder and waited for the hold to be pressurized before opening the escape pod. "Ben … there's no easy way to put this. Han is … gone."

"Gone?" Ben asked her blankly.

"He's dead, Ben," Rey said gently. _And you killed him- but I can't tell you that. Not yet._

"No!" Ben cried. He scrambled out of the pod and rushed over to the hold's hatch. "You're lying! He can't be dead! Not Dad! Dad! Dad! It's Ben! Where are you, Dad?! Dad!"

The hatch opened.

Chewbacca stood in the doorway. He was holding his bowcaster.

" _Chewie?_ " Ben whispered. "It's me. Don't you recognize me? It's Ben."

Chewbacca stood dumbfounded for a moment. He growled. Raised the bowscaster again...

"Chewie … Ben's lost his memory. He doesn't remember anything."

The Wookie stared at her in astonishment for a moment. Then he lowered the bowcaster and took a look at Ben's face. A furry hand reached out towards his face.

Ben didn't flinch. "Chewie … what's wrong?"

It was the look of total trust on Ben's face … his complete lack of anger or fear … that finally convinced the Wookie. He lowered the bowscaster. And growled an inquiry.

"Yes. It really is me, Chewie." Ben's lip quavered. "Is it true? Is Dad gone?"

For an instant, Rey feared that inquiry would cause Chewie to attack Ben … but instead the Wookie pulled the young man into his embrace and hugged him fiercely.

And together, they cried over Han Solo.

..**..

The Resistance was still holed up on Crait when they arrived.

The First Order knew they were there, but hadn't bothered to attack. No doubt Hux or whoever was attempting to take control had more important worries than chasing down a handful of Rebel Scum.

The _Falcon_ landed in front of the massive gates that were shut in preparation for an attack that might come at any moment.

Rey and Ben walked down the _Falcon's_ landing ramp. Chewie stayed inside to keep the _Falcon_ ready for flight in case a hasty departure was needed. "Mom's here," Ben murmured. "I can feel her. She feels … _old_."

"It's been six years, Ben," Rey told him gently. "A lot has happened since you saw her last." Again she felt the ache of loss … _Her_ Ben would know that …

The gate opened … and four figures walked out. Two of them- a young man and woman- were walking hand in hand.

It was Finn … with some _woman_.

Rey stifled the sudden surge of jealousy. She had no right to complain. She had left Finn. She had left to do the right thing … to bring back Luke Skywalker, but this time she had been the one to leave. She couldn't fault Finn if he found comfort in someone else.

The other was Dameron, she thought … Finn's pilot friend. He was trying to be causal as he kept a hand near his blaster.

The last person walked slowly, leaning on a cane …

" _Mom_ ," Ben breathed.

"Ben," Leia said in an even tone of voice. "You're back."

"Mom!" Ben rushed forward and hugged her.

Dameron uttered a curse and drew his blaster.

Rey reached forth with the Force and snatched it from his hands. "It's Ben Solo," she told them all. "Leia's _son._ "

"But that's Kylo-" Finn began.

A fierce look from Rey silenced him.

Leia stiffened as Ben's arms wrapped around her, but then she closed her eyes and returned the hug. _"Ben._ It _is_ you. You're home. My baby is home. My baby is home."

"Mom ..." Ben said in an embarrassed tone of voice.

"We were on Snoke's ship," Rey said finally, measuring her words. Not wanting to jar Ben's memory too quickly. "He was going to kill me. _Ben_ saved my life." She flashed a grateful smile at the tall young man who blushed and looked away. "There was an explosion-"

"Amilyn rammed the _Raddus_ into Snoke's fleet," Leia explained.

"Aunt Amilyn?" Ben said with a gasp. "She was here too?"

"She gave her life to save us," Leia said with a nod of her head. She sighed sadly. "It bought us time."

"When he woke up, Ben didn't remember anything that's happened for the last six years. He's understandably confused right now, but he's been kind enough to trust me so far." Rey smiled again at him.

"I trust you," Ben said softly. "It just feels like the right thing to do."

"If Snoke is dead, and …" Poe flinched under the double glare from Leia and Rey. "... the Master of the Knights of Ren is gone, then it will take time for Hux to get the fleet under control. That won't last forever. We need to get off this planet as soon as possible."

"I'll see what I can do," Leia said. "I'll make some calls. I should be able to find someone who can help us get off planet. If worse comes to worse, we might try to crowd onto the _Falcon_. It would be a tight fit, but we might be able to do it." She reluctantly let go of Ben. "We'll talk soon, sweetheart."

And she began walking back to the base.

"I'll go give her a hand," Poe said. He cast a curious look at Rey, then walked off to join his General.

Ben watched them go. "I feel like I should know him ..."

The woman who was still holding Finn's hand coughed.

"Oh right." Finn blushed. "Rey, this is Rose Tico. She's my friend. We were on Snoke's ship too. We were trying to help the Resistance escape, but it didn't work out so well."

"Pleased to meet you, Rose," Rey said evenly, trying again not to stare at the way the girl held Finn's hand.

"Rey, it's such an honor to meet you!" Rose gushed. "They say you defeated – " She glanced at Ben. "I mean, they said you're a powerful Jedi!"

"I'm still learning," Rey said softly. _And it looks like that path is going to cost me everything …_

"We should get back to work, Finn," Rose said after a moment's awkward silence. "We need to get as much equipment ready as possible in case we need to defend ourselves before the General's friends can get here. It was nice meeting you, Rey." She glanced at Ben. "Um, what do I call you? I don't know your rank ..."

"Just Ben," he told her with a smile. "If I'm a Jedi Knight now I'm afraid I don't remember it."

"Okay, it was nice meeting you, Ben." Rose started back towards the base. She looked at Finn. "Finn?"

"Go with her, Finn," Rey said gently. "I'm sure she can use your help."

"Okay." Finn reached out and squeezed Rey's hand. He nodded to Ben without saying a word, and then walked off to join the others.

Rey sighed and hugged herself.

"What's wrong?" Ben asked her.

"Finn was my first real friend, and now it looks like he has that girl." _And Kylo Ren-_ _ **my**_ _Ben is gone and you're a stranger who doesn't know me. Who doesn't care about me._ "I don't know. I guess I just feel so alone right now ..."

"You're not alone." He said the words automatically, without a moment's hesitation. He removed one of his gloves and gently reached out to her.

Rey smiled in return and took his bare hand. "And neither are you."

He wasn't _her_ Ben. He might never be _her_ Ben ever again.

The Force had removed every trace of Kylo Ren from his mind. He was Ben Solo now. She didn't know why it had done that- she did not know if any trace of the man he had been- good or bad- would ever return.

But he was here with her now.

And that was enough.

"Come on, Ben," Rey said after a moment of holding his hand. "Let's join the others. We have a lot to do if we're going to stop the First Order."

"Where you go, I'll follow," Ben promised her.

And they walked into the base.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've seen stories where Rey woke up with amnesia. I've seen a story where Ben got amnesia later, but I've never seen this exact situation.


	9. Scoundrel Rey and Jedi Ben

_It's not my problem._

 

Kira leaned back against the _relatively_ cool outside wall of the Mos Eisley cantina and took a drag from her third deathstick of the day. It was a bad habit, and a hard one to break. She'd meant to give them up- they were stupidly expensive and hard to come by this far from the Core Worlds- but working with the Old Man and the Wookie had been too nerve-wracking to let them go just yet.

 

_I don't owe them a damn thing._

 

Kira sighed. She hated arguing with herself. Especially when she was losing.

 

"Damn you, Old Man,"she muttered to herself. "I _told_ you nothing good would come from sticking your nose into Brendol Hux's business. But oh no- you just had to go rush in and try to deliver supplies to Takodona. Had to help an old friend, you said. She'd pay top credits for those medical supplies, you said. Now you and the Wookie are probably going to be executed by the so-called Second Empire and there's not anything anyone can do about it."

 

"That's too bad."

 

"Bala-Tik." _Kriff!_ She looked around. "And I see you brought some friends."

 

"Yes I did, little girl." Bala-Tik smirked as he looked her up and down. "Where are my credits?"

 

"Ask the Old Man – if he's still alive. Hux has him."

 

"The _Falcon_ is here. We tracked it."

 

"I took the _Falcon_ and escaped." Kira fought off a sudden wave of guilt. _Kriffing conscience. Thanks a lot, Mom._ "He wasn't going to need it anymore."

 

"You deserted him."

 

Kira shrugged. "I wasn't going to die with him. He would have done the same to me." _No he wouldn't. You know he wouldn't, Kira. Not him or the Wookie. That's why you're feeling lower than a bantha's tail right now._

 

"The _Falcon_ is mine. Someone will pay something for it. Even if just for scrap."

 

"Scrap? That's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. That's the ship that helped destroy the first and second Deathstars. It should be worth a small fortune to the right buyer."

 

"That what you planned to do? Sell it?"

 

"... yeah. That's what I was going to do." She felt a stab of uncertainty. She'd only worked with the Old Man for a couple of months, but the _Falcon_ had begun to feel more like home than anything she'd known since she left her parents' ship. _Yeah. I was going to sell it. It's garbage._

 

"That'll help, but I'm still going to need more credits to make up for the money that the Old Man swindled me out of."

 

"I fail to see how that's my problem. I just worked for him. You want more cash go talk to his wife. If you can."

 

"I don't think that'll be necessary." Bala-Tik licked his lips. "The Hutts are always looking for new slave girls. I'm sure you'll bring a few credits."

 

_Slave. Unkar Plutt._

 

Kira's eyes hardened. "I'll kill you, Bala-Tik."

 

"No you won't."

 

Kira gasped and doubled over in pain.

 

_Stun blast. His kriffing buddies stunned me while he was talking to me. What the kriff was I thinking? I should have made a run for it!_

 

They'd used a light stun. She was still conscious. She just couldn't control her body.

 

Bala-Tik grabbed her and slammed her up against the wall. "But first … first me and the boys are going to have a little fun."

 

Kira mustered the strength to spit in his face.

 

Bala-Tik slapped her. "Stupid girl. I'm going to _really_ hurt you now!"

 

He grabbed her shirt …

 

"Let her go!"

 

"This isn't your fight, boy. Walk away."

 

It felt like someone had wrapped her neck in chains, but Kira forced her head to turn. She wanted to see what kind of idiot had just thrown his life away by attempting to help her. _Probably some farm boy with delusions of being the next Luke Skywalker._

 

He was dark haired, and tall. He wore some robes that were suitable for the harsh climate of Tatooine, but they didn't disguise that he was powerfully built. If he had actually been _armed,_ Kira might have felt some hope of this working out in her favor, but he had no weapon that she could see.

 

"It kind of is, actually." The young man smiled- and she found herself immensely liking that smile. She didn't think of him as being all that attractive at first, but that smile made him kriffing _adorable._ "I'm only going to ask this once. Let her go and walk away."

 

"Kill him," Bala-Tik shrugged and turned back to Kira. She couldn't see past him, and maybe that was for the best. She didn't want to see some poor idiot being killed just for being stupid enough to try to help her.

 

Blaster fire … and something else.

 

A strange humming sound.

 

And screaming. Lots of screaming.

 

"What the kriff-?" Bala-Tik dropped her and drew his blaster …

 

And screamed as his blaster hand was severed at the wrist by a blade of energy.

 

He fell to his knees.

 

The light saber was suddenly at his throat. "I warned you. Go."

 

Bala-Tik stumbled to his feet and ran out of the alley.

 

Kira slipped to the ground. She could see scattered body parts in the alley around her. One or two of Bala-Tik's men were still there, moaning, and trying frantically to get away. One of them was missing a leg so he was having to drag himself. None of the rest of them seemed inclined to stick around long enough to help him.

 

Her rescuer turned off his weapon and attached it to his belt. He knelt down beside her. "You're safe now."

 

She looked into his dark eyes. _No. I'm not safe at all._ "You're a Jedi Knight."

 

"Yes. My name is Ben." He scooped her up in his arms as though she weighed nothing at all. "We should get out of here. He might have friends."

 

It wasn't in her nature to submit tamely to anything, but she rested her head against his shoulder. "Thank you."

 

And then she fell into blackness.

 

..**..

 

She was on the _Millennium Falcon_ when she woke up.

 

Jedi Ben was sitting beside her. A light blanket had been placed over her. "You're awake. Would you like some water?"

 

Her mouth felt as dry as Jakku. "Yes please."

 

He handed her a small glass of water. Her hands were still shaking, but he helped her hold it. She noticed that he was wearing gloves and felt strangely disappointed this was so. "Thank you."

 

"You're welcome."

 

"How did you know this was my ship?"

 

Ben shrugged and looked away. He seemed strangely shy compared to how he had acted when he rescued her. He seemed unwilling to look her in the eyes. "I was tracking the _Falcon._ The spaceport told me where to find you."

 

"Oh." She wanted him to look at her again. "Guess today was my lucky day. Why were you tracking the _Falcon_? Did the Old Man's wife send you?"

 

"No. I had a vision that my fath- the Old Man was in danger and I came to find him to help."

 

She caught the slip up. "The Old Man is your father?"

 

"Yes. Han Solo is my father. I'm Ben Solo."

 

"Kira." She looked at him curiously. "The Old Man- Han- never mentioned having a son."

 

Ben smiled shyly again, his eyes finding hers again before turning away once more. "I grew up with most of the Galaxy knowing who I am and who my parents were- it's kind of refreshing to meet someone who doesn't already know everything about me."

 

"I grew up in the Outer Rim. We hear myths and legends, but it's hard to know what's true and what isn't. Why didn't Han talk about you?"

 

Ben stared at his hands. "I haven't seen him since I was very young?"

 

Memories of the hellish months she had spent on Jakku before her parents had sobered up enough to come back to collect her caused Kira to ache with sympathy. "What? Did he just _abandon_ you?" She felt a stirring of anger on his behalf.

 

"No. Not really." Ben looked back at her. "When I was very young, it was decided that I become a Jedi Knight. My father wasn't happy about it, but my mother insisted. He was … discouraged from visiting me. Jedi are supposed to avoid attachment, and Master Luke felt that it would be dangerous for me to see Father again before I had become a full Jedi Knight."

 

"That doesn't seem fair." Her parents had been drunken traders, small time grifters, but even they had come back for her eventually. It made her sad to think that Han would have given up on his child so easily. It didn't seem like him at all.

 

Ben shrugged. "I wasn't very happy about it either, but Master Luke is wise, and Mother told me that I had to follow his orders if I were going to be a Jedi."

 

"Is that what you wanted to be?" Kira asked. She wished he would _look_ at her.

 

"I told you. It was decided-"

 

"I know that. But was that what you wanted to be?"

 

"I wanted to be a pilot." Ben looked wistful. "But Mother said I would do more good for the Galaxy as a Jedi. When Master Luke becomes one with the Force, I'm supposed to be the one to take over."

 

Kira scowled. "You don't sound thrilled by the prospect." She reached out and laid her hand on one of his gloved ones. "Ben, what's wrong? Why won't you look at me?"

 

Ben seemed to shiver at her touch. "I … you're beautiful."

 

Kira blushed. She knew she was pretty, but she had never considered herself to be beautiful before. "Thank you, Ben, but that doesn't explain-"

 

"Because I'm supposed to be a Jedi Master, it was decided that I should ..." Ben blushed. "I haven't- I mean- I haven't spent much time talking to beautiful women."

 

Kira read between the lines.

 

Kriff.

 

He was a virgin.

 

"But you're a Jedi. Aren't you supposed to be out there making the Galaxy a better place? How could you possibly not have … _talked_ to a pretty girl before?"

 

"Master Luke and Mother haven't let me go on missions on my own before. This is the first time I've ever been away from the Academy on my own."

 

"They just let you go out on your own to save your father-"

 

"They don't know."

 

"What?"

 

"I told Master Luke about my vision. He said it was too dangerous for me to help save Father. I was supposed to remain at the Academy."

 

"But you didn't."

 

"The vision came to me, not Master Luke." For the first time, she saw a trace of his father's stubbornness appear. She liked it. "The Force wants me to save Father. _Not_ Luke."

 

He was powerful. And a Jedi Knight. But he was also … _innocent._

 

The Galaxy would eat him alive.

 

_Kriff._

 

"I was working with your father and Chewbacca. We were supposed to deliver some medical supplies to Maz Kanata. 'Emperor Hux' and his Second Empire pirates have blockaded it. We-"

 

"That was a very heroic thing to do," Ben told her with a smile.

 

 _I was against it. I only agreed for the credits. But I can't tell you that- I don't want to see you look at me like the no-good smuggler I am._ "Hux caught us. I managed to get away. Han and Chewie were alive the last time I saw them."

 

"They're still alive. I'd feel it if they weren't." He looked at her. "Will you help me save them?" He looked at her and smiled hopefully. "I have an X-Wing, but the _Falcon_ would be a better choice. I could use a co-pilot."

 

"Ben, that's suicide." She said it gently.

 

"I have to try. I understand though. You don't have to come with me. He's not your father."

 

"No he isn't." Kira hugged herself. "But I kind of wish he were."

 

Ben looked at her curiously.

 

"My own parents aren't the greatest people in the Galaxy. Or maybe I was just a horrible kid." She chuckled nervously and ran a hand through her hair to resist the temptation to do so with Ben's. "When I was kid, they sold me to a man named Unkar Plutt on Jakku."

 

 _"Sold you?_ " Ben's eyes went hot with anger. "How could they do that? They were your parents!"

 

"Yes. To be fair, they did come back to get me once they sobered up." Kira looked away. "Six months later."

 

Ben squeezed her hand in sympathy.

 

"Han's been more of a Dad to me than my own ever was." Kira sighed. "I don't know that I can be all that much help- but I owe it to Han and Chewie to try. And to you." She smiled. "If not for you—"

 

Ben squeezed her hand again. "I would never let anything bad happen to you, Kira."

 

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Ben." She tilted his chin. "But thank you for saying it." _This is a bad idea- but kriff those eyes …_

 

She kissed him.

 

She felt him stiffen in surprise, felt his arms wrap around her.

 

He was inexperienced. He was tentative. He was … _gentle_.

 

And Kira had never felt safer in her entire life.

 

When the kiss ended, Ben's eyes were wide with shock … and longing.

 

Kira couldn't stop herself from smirking.

 

"I need to … meditate. Yes. Meditate." Ben let her go. She could sense his reluctance, but also … panic and shame.

 

"Ben, I wanted to kiss you," she told him gently. "You didn't do anything wrong."

 

"Can you get the ship ready to go?" Ben asked her. "I- meditation ..."

 

"Go ahead. I'll make sure we're ready to go."

 

"Thank you," Ben said grateful.

 

"It was my pleasure."

 

"I was talking about getting the ship ready."

 

"I wasn't." She couldn't stop smirking.

 

Ben blushed and then left.

 

Kira stretched and rose to her feet. She was still sore, but she knew it wouldn't last much longer. "You need a teacher, Ben Solo. Someone to show you something besides the ways of the Force. And I think I'm the right woman for the job ..."

 

She smiled to herself. She felt strangely certain they were going to save Han and Chewie. She just hoped it didn't happen too quickly. Ben was going to need a lot of training ...

 

"And I think you're ready to learn."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rey was originally going to be named Kira, with her alias coming from the Rebel Pilot helmet she scavenged giving her the inspiration for the name she took for herself. With all the AUS out there I've yet to see one where Rey wasn't abandoned … or one where her parents lived to come back for her. She came out a bit less of a scoundrel than I thought she would, but I liked the version of Rey that I came up with here. Still a good person, but a little less naïve than Rey from the movies.


	10. Give Her Away?

The universe hates Ben Solo.

 

It's the only explanation that makes sense. The universe hates him. It has it out for him.

 

Sure, other guys have been unable to tell the girl they loved how they feel. Other guys have had to watch them be romanced by other guys. Other guys have even had to watch the love of their lives marry another man.

 

But how many of those guys have ever been placed in the position of being asked to _give her away at her marriage?_

 

The universe hated him.

 

It was the only thing that made sense.

 

His best friend, on the other hand, has a different view. "You're an idiot, Solo. Tell the girl how you feel. She would never have asked you to give her away if she knew you were pining away for her like a lovesick schoolboy."

 

"I thought you hated Rey, Hux."

 

The ginger rolled his eyes and reached out to straighten Ben's tie. "She's a pretty little fool. If she had accepted our job offer she'd be making three times as much as Resistance Games can pay her. She made a decision based on _sentiment."_ Hux sighed. "But she's not _cruel,_ Ben. She would never do anything to knowingly hurt you. Why torment yourself so?"

 

"Because she doesn't have anyone else." Ben looked at himself in the mirror again. He had resisted the temptation to get stinking drunk. That was his plan for after the wedding. "Han- my father- was the closest thing she had to a father. Now that he's gone,she asked me to do the honors. I can't refuse her." He sighed. "Not without telling her how I feel."

 

"This is a mistake, Ben." Hux laid a hand on his shoulder. "You know this is going to end badly for everyone involved."

 

"I won't tell her. She'll never know. It'll be fine."

 

"I know it's hard for someone with your ego, but forget about yourself for a moment, Solo. This marriage is doomed from the start and you know it."

 

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

 

"Where's that famed Skywalker insight? Finn used to work for us. He worked under Phasma. I've seen how he looks at Rey."

 

"He loves her." That was the only thing that made this bearable. Rey wasn't just marrying someone she loved; she was marrying someone that loved her as well. "Finn will be good to her."

 

"He'll be good to her. And he cares for her. But he's not in love with her. All you have to do is look at him- and see the way that he looks at Poe Dameron."

 

"He's... close to Poe." Ben looked at his hands. "That's why he joined Resistance Games. But that doesn't mean-"

 

"I'm not like you, Ben. I can't see things the way Skywalkers or Kenobis do- but I'm not a stupid man. I know patterns. Finn isn't in love with Rey- he may be trying to convince himself he is- he may be able to convince Rey he is- but his heart belongs to Poe Dameron. You aren't doing Rey any favors letting her marry a man who's in love with someone else."

 

"I'm not _letting_ her do anything. It's Rey's choice."

 

"And it's your choice to tell her the truth or not, Ben."

 

"She'd never believe that Finn-"

 

"I'm not talking about Finn and Poe. I'm talking about how you feel. Tell her, Ben. She deserves to know how much you care about her."

 

"She has to know how I feel about her."

 

"Oh, you're not exactly Mr. Subtle, I'll grant you that. But Rey is clueless. She can't imagine that someone like you would ever love her."

 

"What the kriff does that mean, Hux?"

 

"She's a nowhere girl from Jakku. A pretty good seat of her pants programmer- but she's nothing. She knows that."

 

"She will never be nothing! Don't you dare say that about her!" Ben grabbed Hux's jacket. "You hear me? Never call Rey NOTHING."

 

"It doesn't matter if I believe it or you believe it, Ben. Rey does. Every day of her childhood that scum ball guardian of hers told her that she was worthless. That she was nothing. She had that drilled into her head all those years until she started to believe it herself. That's why she has no clue you've been head over heels in love with her from almost the first moment you met her."

 

Ben let him go. "I'm sorry, Arm. I didn't mean it. It's just my temper-" He sighed. "Another good reason for me not to tell Rey how I feel. You know how I am. I'm practically a monster-"

 

"And you heard that often enough as a kid that you started to believe it. Started to accept it. You're no shining knight, Solo, but you're far from being a monster. You're a flawed, ordinary man. Rey could do a lot worse. You both just have to get over your childhood trauma. Do that, and you'll be fine."

 

"Ben! Ben!"

 

Rose. Rose Tico. One of Rey's bridesmaids. She rushed forward and grabbed his arm. "You need to come. It's Rey."

 

 

"What's wrong with Rey?" Ben's heart pounded in his chest.

 

"Finn. He's gone. He left. With Poe. They left together." Rose was crying. Ben vaguely recalled Rey mentioning that Finn had dated Rose before they got together. "Ben- she's asking for you. Please."

 

"Where is she?"

 

"The dressing room. Do you need me to show you?" Rose was shaking.

 

"No. I know the way." He looked at the shaken girl. "Armitage, why don't you get Rose something to drink?"

 

"I could use it," Rose said frankly. She reached out and took Hux's hand. "Come on. You're Armitage Hux. _The_ Armitage Hux? The man behind _Starkiller?"_

 

"Thanks. Yes I am." The ginger blushed.

 

"General Hugs himself. I love that game." Rose wiped her tears away. "Can we talk about it? I need to talk about something else right now..."

 

"Of course." Hux allowed the girl to pull him towards the bar. "I first had the idea for _Starkiller_ when reading my father's memoirs ..."

 

Ben watched them go with an amused smile. _Maybe you should follow your own advice, Arm. You're not who you think you are either._ And then he realized, _Rey. Rey needs me._

 

The guests were already starting to murmur among themselves.

 

Ben's uncle, Luke, stood beside the closed dressing room door. He was whispering some words of comfort that made Ben roll his eyes. Rey was very fond of Luke- had asked him to perform her wedding ceremony, in fact- but the Jedi Master was not helping here.

 

Ben glared at the guests and then at his uncle. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

 

"Be careful, Ben," Luke advised him. "This won't go the way you think."

 

Ben growled, and then pushed his way past Luke to knock on the door. "Rey? It's Ben. May I come in?"

 

The door opened a crack. "Just you. No one else."

 

"Just me," Ben agreed. He was not exactly a small man, but he squeezed into the door and locked it behind him. "Rey ..."

 

Her makeup was ruined. Her eyes were red. Her lower lip was quivering.

 

Even so, Ben Solo thought she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. "Rey, I'm so sorry ..."

 

"He left me, Ben. He promised he would never leave me, but he left. Just like my parents." Rey wrapped her arms around Ben's broad chest. "What's wrong with me? Why does everyone I love leave me behind?"

 

"I'm right here, Rey." There. He said it. Come what may, he said it.

 

And apparently Rey missed it completely.

 

"Finn … he said that he tried to love me the way I wanted, but he couldn't. That he had to be true to himself, and go with Poe." Rey raised her tear filled eyes to the man who held her as though she were the most precious thing in the world. "I've never felt so alone ..."

 

"Rey ..." Ben touched her cheek. "You're not alone."

 

Time stood still.

 

And he saw understanding dawn in Rey's eyes. Understanding. Surprise. And … something else.

 

"Neither are you."

 

And she smiled.


	11. Ordinary Ben and Chosen Rey

Ben Solo is born from greatness, but it seems from the time he draws his first breath that greatness is to be denied him.

 

He doesn't know until years later- from overhearing parents who have become increasingly less discrete in their arguments that he was veritable beacon of light and darkness in the Force in his mother's womb. No one knows why he seems to be totally lacking in Force sensitivity after his birth- not even his uncle the legendary Luke Skywalker. And at first, it doesn't matter.

 

As he grows up, that changes.

 

It's not just that he lacks the Force. He seems bereft of _everything_ that makes his parents special.

 

He has his father's height, but where Han Solo moves with swagger and cocky grace, Ben _lumbers._ Han is athletic, Ben is _thick_ with ample muscle but none of his father's dexterity. Han is a dead shot; when he tries to teach Ben to shoot he jokes that Ben has all the precision of a drunken stormtrooper and the boy gives up with his large ears flaming in embarrassment.

 

He has his mother's strength of will- some would call it stubbornness- and her keen intellect- but he lacks her charisma and leadership skills. Leia can find common cause with her worst enemies; Ben has trouble forgiving the smallest of slights from people he's known all his life. Leia can speak before thousands in persons, millions by com, and do so with the utmost confidence and certainty; Ben trips over his own tongue if he has to talk to more than five people at once.

 

And by the time he's fifteen he knows he will never be as attractive as his parents. No one will look at him as they do at his father. No one will ever compliment him on his appearance the way they do his mother. The kindest thing he hears about himself is that he has a "striking" appearance.

 

The one place he feels at him- the one place he feels like both a Solo and a Skywalker- is as a pilot. His father and his uncle- on the rare occasions when he sees Luke- both praise him for his flying skills. He starts to dream of working with his father and Uncle Chewie. He has hopes of being an X-Pilot and joining the latest Rogue Squadron …

 

But it doesn't happen.

 

His mother doesn't _let_ it happen.

 

Even the slightest hint from Han that he wants to take Ben along on some mission in the _Falcon-_ even _legitimate_ runs- rouses Leia's fury. She won't have her son risk his life smuggling spice- or anything else. Eventually, Han stops asking.

 

And as for joining the New Republic Fleet …

 

Admiral Ackbar himself personally contacts Ben to rescind his invitation to the New Republic Academy. He explains that Ben's family is too famous- that no commander would risk having Ben in his squadron for fear of going down in the history as the one who sent the last scion of the Skywalker line to his death. He praises Ben's skills and offers him a teaching position.

 

Ben refuses- with much less diplomacy than he knows the Admiral deserves.

 

His mother had struck again.

 

As a consolation- though no one will ever call it such- Luke invites Ben to be a pilot for him on one of his missions to locate Jedi Artifacts. Both Han and Luke spend hours talking to Leia before she finally gives in. Ben is 21, and this is the first time he's allowed off world without one of his parents with him.

 

It doesn't go the way he expects.

 

Most of the places they visit are every bit as dull and boring as he had initially expected they would be. Museums. The ancestral homes of Jedi who were killed during the Purge. Abandoned temples and pawn shops in the less reputable areas of the Galaxy.

 

But a few times … a few times they encounter people who are not intimidated by the Last Jedi Luke Skywalker's reputation and see to claim the bounty that the last tattered remains of the Empire has placed on his head … Ben himself is under the strictest orders not to reveal his connection to Master Skywalker … because even though he is not particularly of any great importance his death or kidnapping would surely be a torment to his mother.

 

And while Ben never feels himself to be in true danger at any moment, he still is pleased to learn that he is not a coward and when Luke claps him on the shoulder after a particularly dicey moment and says he's proud of him, he finds himself wishing that he _had_ the Force.

 

If he had the Force his mother would have trusted him to look out for himself. If he had the Force his uncle would have spent time with him, training him to be a master of it. If he had the Force, Ben Solo would be his own man.

 

But he doesn't.

 

It's on this search for Jedi artifacts that they find something else.

 

Someone else.

 

Rey.

 

The girl is a scavenger living on Jakku, fighting every day of her life for enough food and water to keep her alive. She's eleven years old when they find her, and so thin that even the normally implacable Luke Skywalker seems ready to unleash a Sith-like fury on Unkar Plutt. (Ben's own anger is tempered by the _need_ he sees in the girl's eyes. He finds it easy to be gentle with her … kind in a way that he acknowledges in his best moments that he seldom is but knows he should be.) Convincing Plutt to release Rey from her "contract" is not that difficult- not with a light saber at his throat- but getting the girl herself to leave proves to be far harder.

 

Plutt knows the truth about her parents- and in truth so does Rey. Convincing _her_ of that proves to be extremely difficult. Only when they find the wreckage of their ship … find the paupers' graves they had been unceremoniously been tossed into- does Rey acknowledge the truth and comes with her.

 

She holds onto Ben the entire time.

 

Luke takes Rey's tremendous power as a sign that it's time to make a new Jedi Academy. The girl needs a teacher- and peers. Luke starts to call her the "Chosen One" of her generation. He believes that Rey was given her power to face some dire threat that has yet to reveal itself.

 

It doesn't take long for Leia to obtain the funding needed to set up Luke's Jedi Academy on Yavin. Finding a few other Force sensitives takes some more time, but Luke has the help of Lor San Tekka and the Church of the Force to scour the Galaxy to find Sensitives. While Luke is searching, Rey, Ben, Chewbacca, and Han Solo working on preparing the new Academy.

 

"Ben ..." Han says in an uncertain voice near the time when Luke is about to return with the rest of his new students. "You know that you can't stay here when Luke starts teaching, right?"

 

"What? Why?"

 

"You're like me … you're not Force Sensitive. And Luke will need to make sure his students aren't distracted … that _Rey_ isn't distracted."

 

"Rey? What does this have to do with Rey?" He fights back anger and tries to listen to his father.

 

"She cares about you a lot, Ben ..."

 

"I care about her too. She's a good kid."

 

"She's growing up, Ben. She won't stay a kid forever. And the way she looks at you …"

 

Ben laughs uneasily. "So she's got a crush on me. It doesn't mean anything." He shrugs. "I guarantee as soon as someone better looking comes along Rey will forget all about me. Like Poe Dameron, for instance. You know he's escorting Luke's shuttle..."

 

"Ben ..."

 

"Dad, it's fine. Rey's just lonely. She's going to make lots of friends … and she'll find someone more appropriate to care about. I get that. You should too."

 

And he does. Rey is going to be a Jedi. She's special. He's not. He never will be. He's nothing. She'll see that soon enough.

 

Everyone else has.

 

..**..

 

Luke comes back with a handful of other students.

 

They're all older than Rey by a few years, and she's shy around them the way that she hasn't been with Ben and his family (and Chewie is _family_ and Ben has always known that). Several of the girls and a couple of the boys are already enamored with Poe Dameron by the time they make it to Yavin.

 

Ben is not surprised.

 

Poe is the son his parents should have had.

 

Poe is handsome. Poe is extroverted. Poe has never met a stranger. Poe is a talented pilot- is _allowed_ to be a talented pilot.

 

Ben doesn't hate him. It's almost impossible to hate Poe Dameron. But more than anything else, he wishes he could be _him._

 

But he knows he never will be.

 

And it doesn't take long for that Dameron charm to impact Rey. She giggles and blushes around him, and hangs on his every word as he describes his adventures to the crowd of young people after the supplies have been unloaded. She looks so happy …

 

Ben knows it's time to leave.

 

Poe- and Han periodically- will keep in contact with the Academy. Ben knows that he would never be allowed to be the go-between … Leia would never allow it. She would never trust him to be competent enough.

 

And Rey won't miss him anyway.

 

Early the next morning, though … he finds her waiting beside Luke's shuttle. She's already wearing her new Jedi robes … she has been given a Padawan braid. "You're leaving."

 

"Yes. It's time for Luke to start teaching you and your friends how to be Jedi-"

 

"They aren't my friends. They're never going to be my friends."

 

"Give it time, Rey. You just met them." It feels strangely surreal to be saying these things to her … parroting words back his parents had said to him countless times.

 

But this is different. _Rey_ is different. She isn't like him. She's _important._

 

 _"_ They don't like me. They're jealous of how much I can do already. Luke's told them I'm the 'Chosen One.'"

 

Ben rolls his eyes. Why the kriff would Luke say that? Was he _trying_ to isolate Rey? "Just take it one day at a time. Once they get to know you, they'll love you."

 

"I doubt that." She looks away. "You're not coming back, are you?"

 

"No."

 

"Thanks for being honest."

 

"Just because I won't be here doesn't mean we'll never see each other again. You won't be stuck on Yavin all your life. I'm sure once you're a Jedi Knight Luke will send you on all kind of important missions, and you'll run into me when you least expect it." He pauses. "I'll write to you."

 

"Write? Everyone coms."

 

"I'm not everyone. I'll write you."

 

"Paper is expensive."

 

"You're worth it."

 

Rey blushes and suddenly throws her arms around him. "Stay with me, Ben! Or take me with you! I don't want to stay here- not without you!"

 

"It'll be fine, Rey. I'm not leaving you- not forever. Not like your parents." He strokes the hair away from her face. "I promise you I'll always be here if you need me."

 

He holds her for a long time, and then he lets her go.

 

And somehow- in a way he cannot quite describe- he _knows_ that she watches his ship until it flies out of sight.

 

..**..

 

Years pass.

 

His mother lets him become a technician. He's not great at it, but he's competent. And he does it under an alias- no one expects great things from "Matt", but no one looks at him with disappointment either. He makes friends there.

 

And he writes Rey all the time.

 

His father or Poe delivers the letters for him. He sends her other things too- food, mostly, but occasional clothing or new flight simulation holocons for she's confessed to him that she still wants to be a pilot.

 

She doesn't talk much about her studies, but on the rare occasions that Luke comes home- for Life Day or the birthday he shares with Leia- he raves about Rey's skills. He occasionally mentions the other students, but its clear that Rey is his favorite student.

 

It makes Ben uneasy.

 

Rey is a prodigy, and Ben did well enough in school to know how intensely a prodigy could be disliked by their fellow students. And not for the first time, he wonders if Rey has any friends there.

 

It's not long after that Luke's Academy burns down to the ground.

 

Luke does not tel them what happened in person. He speaks to them by com. "Some of the other students … the older ones … they turned … they burnt it all down. They destroyed everything. The temple. The texts- the Sacred Jedi Texts … are gone. I think they went to the First Order."

 

"Stop talking about the kriffing texts!" Ben shouts. "Rey! What happened to Rey?"

 

"She wasn't there. She's not dead. I would sense it in the Force if she were. And she didn't join them-"

 

"Of course she wouldn't have joined them!" Ben shakes off his mother's concerned embrace. "Where is she, Luke?! WHERE'S REY?!"

 

"I don't know," the Jedi Master confesses. "I don't know … I didn't see it coming ..."

 

"We have to find them," Leia announces. "We can't let them get to Snoke. We'll find them … Ben, where are you going?"

 

"I'm going to find Rey!"

 

"You don't have a ship!" Leia hisses at him.

 

"Yes he does." And Han looks at him. "Take the _Falcon,_ son." He draws his blaster and tosses it to Ben. "She's still one of the fastest ships out there. She'll get you wherever you need to go. Chewie and I will go with you ..."

 

"No." He nods in gratitude to his father for this gift. "I have to do this alone."

 

"You know where to find her." It's not a question.

 

"I think so. I've got a hunch."

 

"Go."

 

"Han, what are you doing- he can't just _go!_ If the First Order is hunting Rey Ben could get _hurt_ if he finds her- he could be _killed_!"

 

"And if we don't let him go he's as good as dead already. He's a grown man now, Leia. We have to let him make his own choices- even the dangerous ones. Go on, Ben. I promise your mother won't do anything to stop you."

 

"Thank you, Dad." And he runs.

 

And for once in his life, his mother does not try to stop him.

 

..**..

 

Jakku.

 

She has to be on Jakku.

 

It was the only home she knew before she went to the Academy. And who would expect her to go back to that hellhole?

 

He doesn't know what he'll do if she's not there. He doesn't know what he'll do if the renegades have captured her. He doesn't know how he'll find her-

 

But he _will._

 

And when he lands the _Falcon_ near the AT-AT she called home for so long, he _knows_ she's there. He can practically _feel_ her presence- and when he sees the First Order fighters he's terrified that he's too late.

 

He blasts them to pieces, somehow _knowing_ that Rey isn't on them.

 

He lands the _Falcon_ and rushes out with his father's blaster in his hands.

 

Rey is fighting with two light sabers. She's dancing between half a dozen men and women who are striking at her with red and orange light sabers. She's a grown woman now- not the child he left behind years ago.

 

"Ben!" she cries when she sees him. "Run!"

 

"No!" He fires his father's blaster at one of her black garbed attackers- and gapes in surprise as the bolt is deflected by a light saber. The woman he attacked raises her hand- and Han's blaster is torn out of his hands.

 

"It's over, 'Chosen One.' Drop your weapons or he dies."

 

"Rey, don't," he whispers. "I don't have a part in this story. I'm no one. You can't surrender. You're too important. I'm nothing."

 

"Not to me."

 

And she lets her light sabers drop.

 

"Stupid girl." The woman fires Han's blaster- at Rey!

 

" _No!"_

 

Ben reaches out with his fear for Rey and the blaster bolt _stops._

 

_And then he's suddenly on another desert world and a robed man who's nearly as tall as he is looks up at him with eyes that are just as blue as his uncle's. "You've taken your first steps, Ben."_

 

_"But how- I don't have the Force-"_

 

_"You've always had the Force, Ben." The man lowers his hood. "Do you know who I am?"_

 

_Ben blinks. "Anakin Skywalker. My grandfather."_

 

_"Yes. Snoke wanted your power- and no matter how we looked, Obi-Wan and I could not see a way where his poison did not taint your life- except for this one. We've been blocking your Force connection since birth."_

 

_"But why …"_

 

_"Because I had my power before I had the maturity to deal with it. Because I chose power over the woman I loved, and I didn't want you to make the same mistake- because it was the only way to save you."_

 

_A smaller creature appears before Anakin. "Your time come it has, young Solo. Your power needed it is to balance the Force."_

 

_"Use the Force, Ben," Obi-Wan Kenobi whispered._

 

_"Save Rey," Padme Amidala added as she took her husband Anakin's hand. "Do what we never could- live happily ever after!"_

 

And he was back … hand outstretched, the blaster bolt frozen in air.

 

He gestures violently and the bolt flies back to strike the woman who fired it.

 

Rey calls her light sabers to her hands. She tosses one to Ben. "About kriffing time, Solo."

 

Ben ignites the light saber, and somehow he knows _exactly_ how to hold it. "I told you I would be here when you needed me."

 

"I had everything under control!" She protested as she took her place at his side.

 

"Then you probably didn't understand the situation!" He smirks at her, feeling _whole_ for the first time in his life.

 

And back to back, they faced the charge of their enemies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope Leia doesn't come across too badly here, but I think she would have been very overprotective of Ben if he didn't have the Force


	12. Everything you know is wrong

The last thing that Rey remembered was the terrifying figure in black advancing on her like Death himself. He had deflected her blasters bolts with a light saber, forced her to lower her arm with just a gesture. In a young life where danger had been a constant companion, she had never felt so close to death.

 

But she wasn't dead.

 

She was alive. Restrained, but alive.

 

And the same dark figure that had defeated her so easily was watching her return to consciousness in the restraints that bound her.

 

He watched her silently … if he was breathing, it was so soft that she almost thought him a droid.

 

"Where am I?"

 

"Where you need to be. The exact location isn't important. You're my guest."

 

They were alone. Under other circumstances, Rey would be relieved. She believed herself capable of defeating one man if it mean her freedom … she had done that before. But this one … "Where are the others? The ones who were fighting with me?"

 

He shrugged. "The traitors, murderers and thieves you call friends? I have no idea. They aren't important now."

 

 

Rey glared at him. She was afraid and she hated that feeling. It made her angry.

 

"You still want to kill me." He sounded impressed.

 

"That's what happens when you're being hunted by a creature in a mask." She glared at the dark figure.

 

He laughed softly. "Such spirit." He made as though to remove his helmet- and then stopped. "No, I suppose I'll leave it on. It's traditional, you might say."

 

Rey glared at him. She felt oddly disappointed.

 

"So … is it true? You're nothing but a scavenger? Interesting."

 

"I won't tell you anything about the droid!" Rey blurted suddenly. "I won't help you find Luke Skywalker!"

 

The dark figure laughed. "The droid is nothing. The map it contains is nothing. I know exactly where Luke Skywalker is right at this moment."

 

Rey froze. "But-"

 

"The search for Luke Skywalker is useful to me, child. It distracts General Leia Organa and her precious Resistance from my _true_ agenda … and gives me the opportunity to dispatch her top agents."

 

"Then what do you want with _me?_ " Rey demanded. She was half afraid of the answer- there were many things a man could want with a young woman …

 

"I've felt a stirring in the Force. You seem to be tied to that, scavenger. I intend to find out why … and if necessary, take steps."

 

Rey glared at him. "Don't touch me!"

 

"I can do whatever I want to you, child. I am the Master of the First Order."

 

"That's not what I heard!" Rey sneered. "Snoke-"

 

"Snoke is a lie. A useful figurehead. I am the _true_ Supreme Leader."

 

"Why tell me this? Are you trying to _impress_ a scavenger?"

 

The dark figure laughed. "Such spirit. You are in no position to tell anyone what you learn from me, girl. You are simply learn to answer some questions for me."

 

"I'll tell you nothing."

 

"You'll tell me everything I want to know." The dark figure stalked towards her. "I can take whatever I want. I _will_ take whatever I want."

 

He touched her face.

 

Rey gagged. It felt as though something dark and cold … something that had crawled out of some forgotten tomb … was prying into her brain … searching through her memories.

 

"You've been so lonely … so afraid to leave. At night, desperate to sleep, you'd imagine an ocean. I can see the island …" He paused. " _That_ island? You are indeed _special,_ child … I can feel the Force within you … just waiting to be unleashed …"

 

"Get out of my head!" Rey tried to struggle, but the restraints held her.

 

"Han Solo." The figure paused, and then his black shoulders shook in a silent laugh. "He feels like the father figure you never had? A foolish choice. A foolish man. Han Solo never sees what's in front of him until it's too late. He'd disappoint you. You're meant for something else, girl. Someone else to be the father figure you've longed for. Someone who can offer you something infinitely better than working on that broken down freighter ..."

 

Rey could feel the darkness seeping into her … and somehow, she was almost starting to _welcome_ it. The darkness promised power. The darkness promised vengeance. Against Plutt … against her parents for deserting her …

 

And then out of nowhere … she "heard" another voice … a faint whisper … _He lies. He's always lied. Don't trust him, Rey. Don't let him into your head … you're stronger than you know …_

 

The dark figure paused. "What is this … who … what? Someone is _talking_ to you..."

 

The whisper was gone as quickly as it came, but it was a reminder to Rey that there was more than darkness in the world. "You're _afraid._ "

 

"I fear _nothing!"_

 

"You're afraid. You're afraid of the voice. You're afraid of _me._ " Rey smiled at him. "You may be able to kill me, but you'll never do whatever you just tried to do to me."

 

"If only you knew the power of the Dark Side," the dark man said in a soft, seductive whisper.

 

"There _is_ power there … but that's not what I want."

 

"If you won't join me ..." The dark man drew his light saber which ignited into a fury of red. "Then I must consider other options."

 

Just then a light began to flash on his belt buckle. He glanced down at it in annoyance. "No. It can't be." He deactivated his light saber and glanced at Rey. "I suggest you reconsider, scavenger. I will not make an offer again."

 

An instinctive "I'll never join you!" was on Rey's lips, but she ground her teeth together to prevent herself from saying it. She did not want to give this man an excuse to kill her now.

 

The dark man opened the door to Rey's cell. He gestured and a stormtrooper entered the cell. "Keep an eye on her. It will mean your life if you let her escape."

 

"Yes, sir." The stormtrooper snapped to attention.

 

The dark man left.

 

Rey stared at the stormtrooper. Somehow she _knew_ what to do now. " _You will release my restraints …."_

 

..**..

 

It wasn't enough to escape. They needed to destroy the Starkiller before the Resistance was utterly annihilated. Rey knew that she should share what the dark man had told her, but _something_ was keeping her from doing so. Besides, there had been no time- Finn and Rey had managed to open the doors to the oscillator and Han and Chewbacca were working frantically to set up the explosives to bomb it to hell and back …

 

And then … then Han Solo saw the dark man. Motioning for Chewbacca to stay back, he stepped out to where he could be seen. "Ben!"

 

The dark man paused. "Han Solo. I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

 

Han made his way out to the dark man. "Take off that mask. You don't need it. Not here. Not with me."

 

"What do you think you'll see if I do?"

 

"The face of my son." Han stared at the dark figure hopefully. This was folly, but he had promised Leia. He had to hope …

 

"Your son is gone. He was weak and foolish like his father. I destroyed him." The dark man paused. "But it is time for you to see my true face, Han Solo." He removed the helmet.

 

It was not Ben Solo.

 

"Luke …?" Han whispered stunned. "That's impossible ..."

 

"No it isn't. Ben Solo was never Kylo Ren. It's me, Han. It was always me." Luke smiled. It was a surprisingly gentle smile.

 

"But you said ..."

 

"Yes. I told you that Ben had turned to the Dark Side. That he had joined the First Order. That he destroyed the Jedi Order I had worked so hard to build. And you believed me. Leia believed me. Everyone believed me because I was Luke Skywalker- the _legend._ "

 

"Luke … this isn't you. It's Snoke. He's using you for your power. You know that. Come back with us- we'll help you."

 

 

"You old fool. Haven't you realized what this means to you? Your son is dead." Luke smiled. "I killed him."

 

"No ..." Han whispered. "You wouldn't do that. Not to your nephew."

 

"I told him, Han. I told him what I was going to do. Why I formed the Jedi Order- to bring the brightest, most powerful Force Sensitives in the Galaxy to my side. To find those who would serve me- and those who wouldn't – those who would be strong enough to stand against me. I offered him a place at my side ..." Luke sighed. "He refused me."

 

"Ben ..." Han's eyes were filled with tears.

 

"I told him that even his death would serve me. I told him that I would tell the entire Galaxy that _he_ became Kylo Ren. That _he_ destroyed the Jedi Order. That his own parents would believe that he became a monster- because _I_ would be the one that told them.

 

"He still refused."

 

"He died knowing that you would believe the worst of him, Han Solo. Your son died knowing you had given up on him. You sent him to me, Han. You sent him to his death … and you believed everything his murderer said about him."

 

Han Solo stared at his brother-in-law … his fingers clawed toward his blaster, but with a roar of rage he charged Luke as though to strangle him with his bare hands.

 

And Luke impaled him with his light saber.

 

Han cried out in pain, but he still forced himself onto the blade, struggling to reach his son's murder. His fingers clutched weakly at Luke's face … and then his dying eyes widened. "You're not him … you're not Luke ..."

 

"No. I'm not. But you'll die without ever knowing who I really am. Goodbye, Han Solo." And with that, the dark man deactivated his light saber and shoved Han off the ledge.

 

Chewbacca roared and fired his bowcaster at the man wearing Luke Skywalker's face.

 

The blast never struck him. As he had done on Jakku, the dark man froze the blaster bolt in mid-air. "I have reason to hate you too, Wookie." He gestured and the bolt flew backwards.

 

But just before it reached the surprised Wookie it froze again.

 

"Not this time!" A tall man wearing a technician's uniform with blond hair suddenly stood beside the Wookie. He gestured again and the blast flew back towards the dark man.

 

In one smooth motion the dark man activated his light saber and parried the blast. "So there you are."

 

"Here I am." The tall man yanked off the blond wig he was wearing and drew a light saber of his own.

 

"Who is that?" Finn cried out in shock.

 

Her eyes filled with anguished tears over Han's death, Rey still felt a sudden hope fill her heart. "The voice … _he's_ the voice."

 

"Ben Solo …" the dark man growled. "You lived."

 

"I lived. No thanks to you."

 

"You're the gnat that's been buzzing around, passing First Order secrets to the Resistance."

 

"I had help- from your other victims. Now you're going to pay for your crimes. I won't let you kill anyone else."

 

Chewbacca growled and placed a hand on the young man's shoulder.

 

"It's good to see you too, Chewie. Finish what you and Dad started. Send this place to hell. He's mine." Ben somersaulted through the air and landed in front of the dark man. "You ruined my life. You destroyed the Jedi Academy." His voice broke. "You _murdered_ my father. Today I avenge them all."

 

"Careful, Ben," the dark man said with a smirk. "Vengeance is not the Jedi way."

 

"Thanks to you, I never became a Jedi."

 

And Ben launched himself at the dark man.

 

"This is wrong," Rey whispered. "He can't do it alone. He'll be killed. I can't let that happen. Finn, blow this place to hell and go with Chewie. Get back to the _Falcon._ I've got to help Ben."

 

"You'll need this." Finn pressed the light saber of Anakin Skywalker into her hands.

 

Rey kissed his cheek. "Thank you. Come find us." And she raced off.

 

And behind her, Chewbacca triggered the explosives that spelled the beginning of the end of the Starkiller.

 

..**..

 

"Yes, yes. Let the hate fill you, Ben. Let your power grow. Strike me down. I know you want to."

 

Ben attacked furiously, driving the older man back, going deeper into the woods. "You're not him! You're not Luke! I know _who_ you are."

 

"Do you, now?"

 

"You retrieved Luke's hand from Bespin. You had a body cloned from it. I don't know why you never used it … maybe you didn't have time before Luke and Grandfather destroyed you-"

 

The dark man scowled. "They did not destroy me. I survived. My Empire will be reborn. And I will _destroy_ the last of the Skywalkers. Destroy Starkiller as your uncle destroyed the Deathstar. Destroy a hundred Starkillers. It doesn't matter. I will still conquer all. It is my destiny."

 

"You're not Luke Skywalker-"

 

"No. I'm not." The handsome features of the man who appeared to be Luke Skywalker twisted in anger. "Luke Skywalker corrupted my greatest servant-"

 

"He freed Darth Vader from the Dark Side-"

 

"And he tried to destroy me. But I lived. I am the greatest Sith that ever lived. I am the one true master of the Galaxy! I am-"

 

"Palpatine. Emperor Palpatine."

 

"Yes. Yes I am." Palpatine laughed. "It was simplicity itself capture Luke Skywalker. His compassion was always his downfall. Once I was able to take his place, everything else fell into place. I destroyed those who might oppose me, recruited those who would follow me- and I laid the blame for everything I did squarely on Anakin Skywalker's grandson. My revenge could not possibly be more complete." His voice grew soft. "And whether you destroy me or not, your life is over, Ben Solo. No one in the Galaxy will ever believe you if you tell them the truth. You will always be hunted. You will always be a monster because the Galaxy believes you to be one."

 

Ben Solo sighed. "I know." He took a fresh grip on his light saber. "But you won't destroy anyone else!" He charged forward again.

 

"I grow weary of this, boy." Palpatine raised a hand and Force lightning flashed from his fingertips, striking Ben and hurling him back. "If you will not join me, then you will die as your grandfather did."

 

Ben screamed out in pain, and struggled to rise.

 

"And still you try to fight. You would have made a worthy apprentice, Ben Solo, but now you must die. Die!"

 

The lightning struck him again and again … Ben Solo could feel himself fading …

 

"Ben!" And then Rey of Jakku was there, holding Anakin's light saber forward to block Palpatine's lightning bolts. "I'm here, Ben! Take my hand!"

 

Ben Solo groaned, but forced himself to take her hand. He rose unsteadily to his feet and crossed his light saber with Rey's.

 

The lightning flashed back … Palpatine screamed as his flesh begin to wither and melt … he collapsed on the ground with a thin shriek.

 

The ground buckled, and a small chasm formed between the three combatants.

 

Palpatine laughed.

 

"I have to stop him!" Ben Solo crouched, preparing himself to jump the gaping hole in the earth that prevented him from reaching his enemy.

 

"Ben, no! You'll fall! You're too weak!" Rey gripped his arm.

 

"I have to stop him! I have to! He's taken my father- my future- he's destroyed the faith of everyone who ever loved me! I'm alone, Rey! My life is over! This is all that I have left! Go find the others- you still have a part to play in this story."

 

Palpatine laughed, and rose to his feet. He gestured towards Ben Solo. "Come, boy. Let us see how well the last of the Skywalkers dies!"

 

Ben spat out a curse and prepared to jump.

 

"Ben, no! Please!" Rey touched his face. "You're not alone!"

 

He froze. "Neither are you."

 

"We destroyed his precious Starkiller. Chewbacca knows the truth- and so do I. We'll vouch for you with your mother. It's not too late, Ben. You can go home- and if he somehow manages to survive this he'll have the both of us to deal with." Rey cast a scornful glance at the old man with the now-ruined face of Luke Skywalker. "Go crawl back into your tomb, old man."

 

"Do you think you can just walk away from Emperor Palpatine?" The dark man raised himself up to his full height. "I'll destroy you both!" The skies turned dark and giant bolts of lightning struck the ground near Ben and Rey. "I AM power! I am the Darkside Incarnate! I will destroy-"

 

And that was when the _Millennium Falcon_ came sailing out of the storm-ridden skies and blasted Palpatine with both laser cannons.

 

He was blasted back into the woods.

 

The _Falcon_ landed and Finn gestured to them from the boarding ramp as soon as it opened. "Don't just stand there! Come on! We have to get out off this rock before it explodes!"

 

Hand in hand, Rey and Ben ran into the ship.

 

"Do you think he's dead?" Rey asked him worriedly.

 

"He's been dead before. I don't think this finished him. We'll worry about that later! Chewie! Take her up!" Ben leaned tiredly against the wall of his father's ship. "It's good to be home ..."

 

..**..

 

"I was on Starkiller to find something," Ben told them as he later piloted the _Falcon_ to a specific spot in empty space. "I found it- and I was supposed to leave with it, but when I sensed Rey-" he smiled at the young woman "-I created a distraction to lure Palpatine away to give Rey a chance to free herself. The package I sent on ahead in an empty shuttle."

 

"I don't see anything here," Finn grunted. "You certain you're in the right spot?" He spoke to Ben in clipped tones and had ever since they met. He plainly did not approve of the sudden closeness between Ben and Rey though he had not directly said anything.

 

"We're in the right spot. I just have to let them know we're here." Ben sent a code by com.

 

And an old-style Imperial Destroyer appeared out of nowhere.

 

"Kriff!" Finn exclaimed.

 

"Relax. They're friends."

 

"How are they able to keep such a large ship cloaked?" Rey asked him. "I thought that was impossible!"

 

"We have a very powerful Force user working with us," Ben told them as he flew the _Falcon_ into the landing bay.

 

"Do we need weapons?" Finn asked as they left the _Falcon._

 

"Of course not," Ben replied. "They know me here."

 

There was perhaps a dozen men and women and twice that many droids in the landing bay. The humans wore old-style Imperial armor.

 

"Tell me you don't have Stormtroopers!" Finn exclaimed.

 

"Some of them had training- defected from the First Order. Most of them are people who've just lost things to Palpatine. That's why the armor doesn't fit all of them perfectly. It came with the ship."

 

A tall red haired man in a greatcoat with an even taller blond woman were walking purposely towards them.

 

Finn gasped. "Hux?!"

 

"Everyone, this is Armitage Hux-" Ben said by way of introduction- only to have the other man punch him so hard that he was knocked off his feet.

 

Chewbacca growled and reached for his bowcaster but Ben held his hand up to stop him from firing.

 

"They sure know you here all right," Finns snickered.

 

"Hux? What the hell?" Ben asked as the ginger helped him to his feet.

 

"Solo, you bloody fool! You were supposed to come back _with_ the package. We thought we lost you!" Abruptly, Hux embraced him tightly. "Never do that again, you stupid git!"

 

"I had something important to do," Ben said gently. "I'm sorry I made you all worry. Rey, Finn, Chewbacca- this is Armitage Hux and Phasma- the _real_ Armitage Hux and Phasma."

 

"What do you mean 'real'?" Rey asked, not recognizing either of them but picking up on Finn's anxiety, especially over the tall woman.

 

"He means that the Hux and Phasma that work with Palpatine are imposters," Phasma explained. She had a pleasing voice. "Their Phasma is a free-willed combat droid-"

 

"And their Hux is my dear old da Brendol using a body that Palpatine's scientists cloned for him using _my_ cells," Hux snarled.

 

"Why would Palpatine do something like that?" Finn asked them suspiciously.

 

"Because when Da and Palpatine took over what became the First Order Phasma and I stayed loyal to Master Snoke," Hux explained. "If the Master had not been able to call to Ben for help, we would all have died. As it is, the Master was terribly injured ..." There's such pain and fury in the ginger's words that Rey found herself stepping back.

 

"Be at peace, my son." A tall figure came into view. He was sitting in a hover chair, but he was so kriffing _tall_ that he was at eye level with Rey. He wore golden robes, and whatever race he might have been from was alien to Rey. "Your father and the Emperor will be brought to justice."

 

"You're more my father than _he_ ever was, Master." Hux walked forward and knelt by the chair.

 

The tall alien smiled. He was not a handsome creature- and had experienced some terrible injury in the past- but it was still an engaging smile. "I am grateful for your loyalty, Armitage. If not for your skills- and those of Phasma- we might have been detected by the First Order long ago." He looked at them. "I am Snoke. You may have heard of me. I fear that I am the reason that the Galaxy now faces the threat of the First Order..."

 

"That's not true, Master Snoke." Ben walked to the other side of Snoke and took his hand. "When the Imperials fled to the Outer Rim, you had compassion for them. You tried to show them a better way, to live in peace ..."

 

"And it might worked if not for Palpatine and my insane father," Hux murmured.

 

"I was no match for Emperor Palpatine," Snoke admitted sadly. "I was lucky to escape in one piece."

 

"Wait … I'm lost here ..." Finn stared at them all in confusion. "You're saying that Kylo Ren is really Luke Skywalker who is really Emperor Palpatine. That the First Order's General Hux is really Armitage's father in a cloned body and the Phasma that leads the Stormtroopers is a droid? And that the Supreme Leader Snoke is really a nice older gentleman in a hover chair?"

 

Snoke nodded his head. "Palpatine uses my image as a figurehead."

 

"He loves to torment us," Ben said with a sigh. "And it's isolated us from the Galaxy. Can you imagine my mother's reaction if Supreme Leader Snoke, General Hux, Commander Phasma, and Kylo Ren showed up at her door? She'd never believe the truth … no one would. We'd be killed by the very people we're trying to help. But now … now that may have have changed." He turned to Hux. "Did you get the package?"

 

"We got it," Hux affirmed. "We haven't done anything yet."

 

"He is still alive, Ben," Snoke told the young Solo. "I can sense his presence in the Force. He is very weak, but he is still alive. It will take both of us to keep him alive once he's removed from the carbonite. It may be months before he's able to do anything."

 

"You don't know him like I do," Ben replied with a smirk. "Once he knows that he's needed, he'd leave his deathbed to help us."

 

"Who are you talking about?" Finn demanded.

 

"We'll show you." Snoke gestured, and a huge block of carbonite floated out a nearby shuttle and onto the cargo bay floor. Inside it, clearly trapped, was a man.

 

"If we can save him- if we can get him out of the carbonite alive—then that man is the best hope for the Galaxy," Ben told them, walking up to the carbonite and placing a hand on the face of the trapped man.

  
"Who is it?" Rey asked as the carbonite made his features nearly impossible to recognize.

 

"My uncle." Ben looked at them all. "The _real_ Luke Skywalker. And when the Last Jedi returns, we may be able to stop the First Order once and for all!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy this turned out a lot longer than I expected it would. In the Dark Horse Comics a few decades ago it was revealed that Emperor Palpatine survived the battle of Endor. He had used cloning technology to create new host bodies for himself. They never lasted very long, though, and he planned to place his essence in the unborn body of Leia's latest child. Similarly, in Zahn's original Thrawn Trilogy the bad guys cloned Luuke Skywalker from Luke's hand. I don't recall him being sentient, though, and having both the original and the clone alive at the same time messed with their ability to use the Force … or at least it did Luke's. I thought this made for a cool twist of an AU though it was a bit lighter on the Reylo than the other stories in this collection.


	13. Kira Palpatine

"It's to let old things die," Kylo Ren told Rey as he stared into the girl's horrified eyes. "Rey, I want you to join me. Snoke, Skywalker- the Sith and the Jedi. The rebels? Let it all die. We can rule together and bring a new order to the galaxy."

 

Rey stared at him, her eyes filling with tears."Don't do this, Ben," she whispered. "Please don't go this way."

 

The sight of those tears disturbed Kylo. He didn't want to hurt her. Didn't she see that? Didn't she understand what they were supposed to do? "You're still holding on. Let go!"

 

Rey suddenly fell down to her knees.

 

"Rey!"

 

Just like that, all thoughts of galactic conquest, of bringing a new order to the Galaxy, fled from the mind of Kylo Ren. As she had been since he first heard of her, Rey was the most important thing in his life. "Rey, what's wrong?"

 

He rushed to her side.

 

"Ben ..." She reached out and touched his face as he gently lowered her onto her back. "Ben, help me ..."

 

"Rey, what's wrong? Are you hurt? Are you injured?" Kylo looked at her frantically, searching for a burn or wound to explain the sudden weakness he felt about her … weakness and something else.

 

_Darkness._

 

It was taking her away from him ...

 

"Help me, Ben … Please ..." She closed her eyes and fell limp in his arms.

 

"Rey!" Ben shook her gently, searching for her pulse. He grabbed his dark cloak and wrapped it around her."Rey … wake up. Please wake up ..."

 

"That is not my name."

 

Rey opened her eyes and looked at him.

 

Ben gaped in surprise.

 

Her eyes were now molten Sith gold.

 

"Rey ..."

 

"I told you, that's not my name." Her voice was much the same … but raspier somehow. She even looked paler. "Help me stand, Grandson of Darth Vader."

 

Ben held out a numb hand, and the woman who had been Rey took it and rose to her feet. She wrapped his cloak around herself. "Who are you …. what happened to Rey?"

 

Through the Force, he could sense that this woman- whoever she was- was _not_ Rey.

 

"My name is Kira," the woman with Rey's face told him. "Kira … Palpatine."

 

"Palpatine …?" Ben felt a chill at that name. "But … Palpatine is dead."

 

Kira rolled her eyes. "My _grandfather_ is dead. Now at long last I can claim the throne that is mine by right. With the First Order behind me, I can become Empress." She looked at Ben. "And because you made it possible, you can stand at my side."

 

"I made it possible?" Kylo felt himself floundering … there was a dull ache in his soul where Rey had become part of him … a part that was now missing. _Rey, where are you?_

 

Kira laughed as though he had told the greatest joke in the Galaxy. Kylo had dreamed of hearing Rey's laughter, but this was not a sound that Rey would have ever made. It was cruel … even petty. "Oh, Kylo, I thought you were the _bright_ Skywalker."

 

It reminded him of Snoke's derision. "I don't understand. You've taken over Rey's body?"

 

"Stupid boy, there _was_ no Rey. She was an illusion I created." She fastened his cloak to to her shoulders. "It's a Sith trick my grandfather learned." She reached out and touched his face.

 

Kylo flinched. "Your hands are cold. And I still don't understand. Rey was _real._ I sensed her mind, her thoughts. You're … _nothing_ like her."

 

Kira smiled. "There is darkness in the most noble of Jedi, and glimmers of light in the darkest of the Sith. I could not claim my grandfather's throne without support, and I needed a way to handle both the Resistance and the First Order. So I used the Force to make Unkar Plutt and the others on Jakku believe that Scavenger Rey was real … that she had always been there. I created the persona of Rey, filled her with a righteous sense of justice and compassion that would make those who followed the Light trust and protect her. And then … then I buried myself deep in my mind … letting the fiction Rey become real. I was the proverbial Krayt Dragon in Bantha's clothing."

 

"That's not true," Kylo whispered. "Rey was _real ..._ "

 

"She thought she was real so you did too- not even Luke Skywalker or 'Supreme Leader Snoke' could sense the truth. Just as my grandfather deceived the Jedi of old, I fooled you all. And now … now the game is mine. We will claim Snoke's throne … become the true rulers of the First Order and then..." Kira smiled, her golden eyes almost seeming to glow. "Then I will destroy the last of the Resistance." She held up her wrist. "A homing beacon. No matter where the Resistance flees, I will find them. And your mother herself gave me the means." Kira laughed again.

 

Kylo stared at her. "Mother ..."

 

"She lives yet, Kylo. Skywalkers are very hard to kill."

 

"She's _alive?_ " Kylo had not dared to hope. He had sensed her through the Force … sensed her acceptance of her fate when his wingman had filed on the _Raddus …_ afterwards he had not _dared ..._

 

"For the moment." Kira gestured at the viewing screen that Snoke had turned on before his demise. "You brought me to Snoke- and your mother will bring me to the Resistance. My destiny is assured. You were right, Kylo. It is time to let the First Order and the Resistance die. Now .. .now it is time for the Second Empire … _my_ Empire."

 

Kylo stared at her for a moment longer, then he headed towards the communications console.

 

"Kylo, what are you doing?"

 

"I'm going to call off the attack. There's still time to save them." _Still time to save my mother …_

 

"Kylo, why would you do that?" Her voice was deceptively calm, but he could hear the undercurrent of anger in it.

 

"Because it was what Rey wanted me to do."

 

Kira raised her hand and Force lightning shattered the communications console. She gestured and Kylo's saber flew off his belt and into her hands. She ignited the blade. "I am offering you a chance for greatness, Kylo. A chance to _rule_ at my side. Why are you so intent on throwing your life away?" She gestured again, trying to yank Anakin's light saber from his grasp .. but nothing happened.

 

Kylo ignited his grandfather's light saber. "For _her._ For Rey."

 

"You fool! There was no Rey! She was a fiction! An illusion! She was nothing!" Kira stalked toward him, swinging his own blazing light saber.

 

Kylo assumed a defensive stance. "Not to me."

 

Kira leaped at him ….

 

And then the world exploded as the _Raddus_ struck.

 

..**..

 

Kylo shook his head.

 

Seconds before the impact he had felt something … _someone? …_ wrap himself in a protective shield of the Force. He was shaken, momentarily stunned, but alive and he had not lost consciousness. The throne room was even more of a wreck than their battle with the Praetorian Guard had left it, and Rey ….

 

_Rey!_

 

He rushed to the woman's side before he remembered that she wasn't Rey. That she had taken Rey from him. He had lost the only woman he had ever lo- no. Don't _think_ that.

 

Rey was gone. Snoke was gone. He was alone.

 

_You're not alone, Ben …_

 

"Rey?" He looked around. He had _heard_ her! He was certain of that.

 

But no... Rey was _gone_ and the woman who had stolen her from him was unconscious and at his mercy. He could kill her before she awoke … blame Snoke's death on her, seize the First Order, and then put an end to the Resistance …

 

He tried to want that.

 

He tried to hunger for power. He tried to reach for the hatred and pain that gave him power in the Darkside. He tried to fill the void …

 

But he couldn't.

 

Rey was gone and nothing else mattered.

 

Or did it?

 

"Rey would want me to save them," he whispered to himself. "The traitor she calls friend. The Resistance. My mother. She would want me to do that ..."

 

He glanced down at Kira. The beacon his mother had given Rey was still on her wrist. He bent down and took it.

 

He could feel Hux's presence coming closer.

 

He looked down at the woman. With her eyes closed, he could not see the Sith Gold. He bent down and kissed those unconscious lips. "I would have given you everything, Rey, if only you had stayed with me ..."

 

He rose to his feet and raced for Snoke's shuttle.

 

..**...

 

 _The madman's in love with a phantom,_ Kira Palpatine told herself as they watched the _Millennium Falcon_ soar through the sky. "Shoot that pile of junk out of the sky!" she ordered.

 

"Yes, my Empress," Hux whimpered. "Destroy that ship!"

 

It had not been difficult to convince the General to serve her, Kira reflected. Just the merest suggestion from the Force- and the grip of it on his throat- and Hux had all been wet himself in order to declare his loyalty to the new Empress.

 

Kira tried to fight off the sting of rejection. Kylo Ren had left her behind. He had not even bothered to destroy her when he had the chance.

 

 _I offered him power,_ Kira thought to herself angrily. She fingered the light saber he had left behind. The blazing, broken red one … not _Anakin's._ _I offered him me. He would have been more powerful than he could have dreamed of … but he defied me for the sake of a girl who didn't exist._

 

_"You're not alone," Kylo had whispered._

 

_"Neither are you," she had replied, reaching out for his hand …_

 

Kira shook her head. "No. That wasn't me. That was Rey. And she's gone now. I destroyed her!"

 

"Empress?" Hux asked her anxiously.

 

"Nothing, General. Continue our assault."

 

They had destroyed the ground speeder defenses. The _Falcon_ had not returned. (Though she knew that Kylo was not dead and that troubled her almost as much as the Sacred Jedi texts that Rey had left in that old hulk of a ship.) She just had to destroy the Resistance, and then hunt down Kylo had her leisure.

 

If Kylo would not come to her of his own free will, perhaps she would spare his mother to use as bait. She would make him come to her. She would make him _beg …_

 

And then then she felt an icy tendril of fear through the Force as a familiar voice echoed through her mind.

 

_Hello, Kira._

 

"Skywalker!" Kira stared at the plains and watched a man walk towards them from the breached door of the Resistance's stronghold. "Fire everything we have at that man!"

 

"Empress?"

 

"Now, Hux!"

 

Skywalker survived the barrage as she knew he would.

 

She would have to kill him herself.

 

Again, Kira fought back a wave of fear. Rey had fought him. Rey had _won_. Anything that _illusion_ had done she could do better.

 

She ordered her ship down and strode across the plains. She had changed Rey's clothing for a black uniform, but her hair she still worse loose and free. "Skywalker. You were right. Things did not go as Rey had expected." She smirked.

 

"I'm sorry, Rey."

 

"There is no Rey!" Kira raged. "You're as delusional as your nephew, Skywalker!" She charged him.

 

Skywalker ducked beneath her blow. "Rey had friends. People who cared for her. People who loved her- like Ben."

 

"He does not love her!" Kira screamed, attacking again. "She wasn't real!"

 

"Ben's love of Rey has brought him out of the darkness. She was real enough." Luke looked at the young woman sympathetically. "It's not too late, Kira. Rey's compassion. Her sense of justice. They didn't come from nothing- _she_ didn't come from nothing. They're a part of you. You don't have to follow your grandfather's path. You can choose another way."

 

"No! I will destroy you! I'll destroy Ben Solo and the Resistance! I will tear it all down!"

 

She raced at him again and stabbed him in the heart … only for blade to go harmlessly through him.

 

"No," Kira whispered. "You can't be doing this. The effort would destroy you!"

 

Luke Skywalker smiled gently at her. "Today the Rebellion is reborn. And I will not be the Last Jedi." He deactivated his light saber. "Be seeing you kid!"

 

And he faded from sight.

 

..**..

 

Kylo Ren- or Ben Solo as he no longer knew who he was- sat alone in the _Millennium Falcon_ as Chewbacca flew the ship to safety. Convincing Chewie that he was sincere in his desire to save the Resistance had been tough, but telling his mother and the traitor- ( _no, her friend Finn)_ \- that Rey was gone had been harder yet. Now he stared at his grandfather's light saber in his hands and felt utterly alone.

 

His mother came to his side and laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Ben. Coming back …." She smiled and kissed his forehead. "We have everything we need now."

 

"Rey's gone," he whispered back dully. "I have nothing."

 

"No one is ever truly gone," Leia told him gently. "Those were some of the last words that your Uncle Luke said to me. We have to believe that." She ran her hands through his hair. "We have to have hope, Ben."

 

Ben sighed. "I don't have hope, Mother. I'll do what I can to help you. But with Rey gone ..." He shook his head dully.

 

And yet … before he shut down the hatch of the _Falcon_ the Force had granted him a vision of Kira … kneeling down …. clutching the phantom dice that Luke had conjured. She had looked up at him. He was certain that... right before he closed the hatch …the gold of her eyes had faded back to Rey's eyes … if only for a moment.

 

But maybe he was fooling himself.

 

"I've never felt so alone," he whispered.

 

_You're not alone, Ben._

 

He knew that voice. "Rey?"

 

And then he saw her …

 

Standing in the corner … tinged with blue light ….

 

Ben smiled. _Neither are you._

 

And this time, they took each other's hands.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm much more a fan of the idea that Rey is secretly a Palpatine rather than a Kenobi. I just like the implications of that so much more.


	14. Tomb Reyder

 

 

“You know this is a bad idea, right, Ren?” Armitage Hux asked as the two of them made their way through the crowded saloon to the bar. “From what I hear, this bird is an absolute beast, a madwoman.”

 

“We need her.” Chewbacca had told him that she had been frequenting this bar since Yamatai. His honorary uncle had not been willing to tell him everything that had happened, but he had heard enough to know that this Rey Croft was an extraordinary woman. “And don't call her 'bird' unless you want to have your nose broken-- and that's if you're lucky.”

 

Kylo only paid cursory attention to the media these days, but the story of Rey Croft and the crew of the _Endurance_ and the hellhole of an island named Yamatai had attracted to his interest. He had tasked his personal assistant Dopeheld Mitaka with finding out everything he could about the young woman. The general public believed the entire story to be a publicity stunt gone awry, but Kylo's own experiences told him that there was likely a grain of truth in the wild tales.

 

_She can help me …but_ _**will** _ _ she? _

 

Kylo fought down the fear that this was a fool's errand. His own family refused to help him-- even Chewie had only  _ reluctantly  _ told him the truth story of the  _ Endurance. _ What hope could he have that a stranger would be willing to listen?

 

_ You're nothing, boy, _ the voice of Snoke whispered in his ear.  _ You will never be free. You will never be clean. You will be my creature  _ _**forever.** _

 

_ No, _ Kylo thought to himself.  _ I won't be-- I'll die before I remain like this forever. _

 

_Then die, boy. You're dead to your family already …_

 

“Kylo.” Hux grabbed his shoulder. “ _ Ben.  _ Don't listen to the daft old codger. I know he's still rattling around in your head, but you beat him. You're better than him. Don't you ever forget that.”

 

“Thanks, Armitage.” He gripped the other man's shoulder in return. “I don't know where I'd be without you.”

 

“Drunk in a gutter, probably.” Hux rolled his eyes. “Enough of this sentimentality. If we're going to talk to this bir-- then we better go over there and bloody talk to her.”

 

Rey Croft sat at the bar, holding a drink. A young woman was standing next to her, talking earnestly but gently to her. “Rey … it's not that he doesn't care about you ...”

 

“Then why won't he see me?” Rey Croft turned from her drink and stared at the other woman.”All that we went through … all I did for him … and instead of having the  _ courage _ to face me himself he sends his bloody  _ girlfriend _ over to give me the 'it's not you it's me' speech. Finn Storm is my friend, Rose Tico. He's like a  _ brother _ to me … and now he won't even  _ see _ me.”

 

“Finn's … not well, Rey. Doctor Holdo says that he's not ready to see you yet. We all went through so much on Yamatai … the two of you most of all. I know he still cares about you. He wants to see you, but he just … can't. He needs time.”

 

“Tell him to take all the time he needs then,” Rey downed her glass with an efficiency Kylo's father would have envied. “He knows where to find me.”

 

“Rey … I'm worried about you too. You should get help. I know Dr. Holdo would like to talk to you ...”

 

“Tell Holdo to sod off, Rose. I'm tired of people calling me a liar-- or worse, a maniac-- to my face. Maybe Finn and you can pretend it didn't happen, but  _ I  _ can't. I still see it in my dreams-- everything that happened on that damn island ...everything I had to do to survive ...”

 

“Rey ...”

 

“Sod off, Rose. Go. Just … go.”

 

The other woman bit her lip. “If that's the way you want it--”

 

“That's the way I want it.”

 

“Goodbye, Rey.”

 

“'Bye, Rose. Give Finn my love.”

 

“I … will.” Rose walked away.

 

“I need another drink!” Rey shouted at the bartender.

 

The man shook his head.

 

“Give the lady what she asks for, and my friend and I will have more of the same.” Kylo laid a handful of bills on the table.

 

The bartender frowned, but poured the drinks and put them on the table.

 

Rey Croft turned and looked at him.

 

She had plainly been drinking to excess for quite some time. Her breath stank of whiskey, and her eyes were bloodshot. She wore her hair in some weird three bun style that only a drunkard would think presentable. Her lip was quivering and unshed tears glistened in those red eyes.

 

Kylo Ren felt his heart stop when he looked into those tragic eyes.

 

“Who the bloody kriff are you?”

 

“I'm Kylo Ren. This is my friend and associate Armitage Hux. We have a proposition for you.” Hux coughed and smothered a laugh.

 

“He means a business proposition, love,” Hux told her. “Our boy Kylo here doesn't know how to talk to a beautiful woman. He grew up on a monastery, you see...”

 

“Right.” Rey snorted and took a sip of her drink. “A business proposition.”

 

“Can we go somewhere to talk? Somewhere less public? Somewhere private?”

 

Hux rolled his eyes. “Oh, that doesn't sound creepy, Kylo.”

 

“Shut up, Hux.” Kylo turned hopeful eyes to Rey. “I'll make it worth your while.” Even  _ he  _ understood how that sounded. “I mean … I just want some of you time. It doesn't have to be that private. A restaurant would be fine.”

 

“A royal invitation,” Rey murmured. “How can I refuse?”

 

“Royal?” Kylo inquired, his pale face going even whiter.

 

“My roommate …  _ former  _ roommate Finn Storm has dreams of working in the media. He bought all the scandal rags and even the more  _ respectable  _ periodicals. I recognize the Crown Prince of New Alderaan when I see him.” Rey's eyes flickered towards Hux. “Who's this?”

 

“General Armitage Hux, late of the New Alderaan Army, Lady Rey.” Hux sketched a bow. “If we're going to use titles that is. My wife Phasma is Captain of the Royal Guard-- and I'm currently tasked with making sure the young Prince here stays out of trouble.”

 

“Don't call me, 'lady,'” Rey retorted. “The family fortune and grounds-- what's left of them-- are currently left in trust.”

 

“Then don't call me 'prince' or 'your highness,'” Kylo replied, a hint of anger in his voice.  _ I'm not worthy to be a prince any longer … at least not yet. _

 

“Well now that the niceties are out of the way, what do you want?” Rey took another sip of her drink.

 

“A few minutes of your time,” Kylo added quickly. “We have a mutual friend.” If Chewie still considered himself a friend … after what had happened to Kylo's father … what  _ Kylo _ had done to his father … “Chewbacca.”

 

“That big hairball? He really is  _ that _ Chewbacca? I thought he was lying.” Rey's lips twitched. “He must be even older than he looks.”

 

“He used to tell me he was over 200 years old,” Kylo admitted. “It wouldn't be the strangest thing I ever heard if that was true ...”

 

Rey gave him a measuring look. “Me either.”

 

“There's a club not too far from here. Takodona. The owner's a friend of Chewie's. Maz Kanata. Have you ever been there?” Kylo held his breath. This was the closest he'd come to asking a woman out in his entire life … and it wasn't even for a date.

 

“I know of it. Chewie used to talk about it all the time. Said when we got back he'd treat us all to the best dinner we ever had.” Rey finished her drink. “It didn't work out.”

 

“I understand. You'll come with us?”

 

“With you, you mean.” Hux finished his own drink, grimacing at the trust. “I'm afraid I'm going to have to turn in.”

 

“But, Hux--” Kylo fought down a sudden panic. Hux knew him. Hux knew his story. He could trust Hux to keep him from getting hurt-- or hurting someone else.”

 

“Ben.” Hux squeezed his hand. “You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. You'll be fine.” He nodded to Rey. “And I'm sure this one can take care of both herself and you if the occasion calls for it.” He lowered his voice to a whisper that Rey couldn't hear. “She'll listen, Ben. I can tell. You were right. She's just what  _ you _ need.”

 

“What we need,” Kylo corrected automatically.

 

“Right. We.” Hux smirked and turned back to Rey. “He can be a bit of an arsehole at times, but Kylo's a good bloke. Bring him back to me in one piece.” There was a hint of a threat in his voice.

 

“I don't have the best track record for that,” Rey admitted easily, “but I'll do my best.”

 

“That'll have to do. I'll see you back at the hotel, Kylo.” Hux nodded to them both and then walked off.

 

“An interesting man,” Rey allowed.

 

“He's my best friend.” A soft smile broke across Kylo's lips. “With the possible exception of his wife, he's my  _ only _ friend.”

 

“I know what that's like. Shall we go?”

 

“Keep the change,” Kylo told the bartender as they got up.

 

“You made his night, you know.”

 

“Because of the tip?”

 

“Well, that and seeing me walk out of the bar with a man. Most of the time when a bloke approaches me he walks away empty handed-- sometimes  _ broken handed _ – if he's too persistent.” She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “I can take care of myself. Just in case you were wondering.”

 

“I know,” Kylo admitted. That was one of the reasons he had looked her up.

 

They were silent as they made their way to Maz's diner. They were a curious pair. A young earl's daughter dressed like a thrift shop refugee and the dark clad son of a queen who looked more like a university professor than a prince.

 

Maz was tiny, and so old that she looked almost young. “Ah, young Solo … and do my eyes deceive me or is this the legendary Rey Croft that my boyfriend has told me so much about?”

 

Rey blushed. “You and Chewie--?”

 

“Oh we've been an off and on thing for decades, dearie,” Maz smirked at her. She glanced over at Kylo and laid a hand on his. “Oh, Ben. I was so sorry to hear about Han ...”

 

“Me too,” Kylo looked away. He didn't want her to see the truth in his eyes.

 

“I'll give you two the best booth in the house. It's enclosed, but you can see out of the glass-- it's absolutely soundproof if you two want to whisper sweet nothings to each other.”

 

Kylo blushed. “It's a business meeting, Maz.”

 

“Of course it is.” Maz looks at Rey. “I think you could do with some tea, my girl. Ben?”

 

“Tea will be fine for me too. Are you hungry?” He asked Rey.

 

The young woman smiled. “I'm  _ always _ hungry.”

 

“Fine. Menus. And an appetizer if you have something ready.”

 

“Of course, Ben. Of course.” The tiny Maz led through the crowded diner and to a raised booth that had a perfect view of the stage.

 

When they sat down and had their tea delivered along with something to tide them over until their real meal was ready, Rey looked again at him. “What do you want … Ben Solo or Kylo Ren or whatever you call yourself?”

 

“I want to hear your story.”

 

“You can read the papers for that.” Rey shrugged.

 

“I want to hear the real story.”

 

“No you don't.”

 

“Yes. Yes I do.”

 

“You won't believe it.”

 

“You'd be surprised at what I'd believe, Ms. Croft.”

 

“Rey. Call me Rey.”

 

“All right, Rey.  _ Please.  _ Tell me the true story. I promise you I have reasons other than idle curiosity.”

 

So she did.

 

She told him how her mentor and guardian Unkar Plutt had assembled a crew and obtained a ship-- partially funded with the Croft Estate, partially by an advancement on a proposed reality series based on their expedition-- and went looking for the island of Yamatai, home to the legendary Storm King who had supposedly ruled for centuries. She told him about the storm that had wrecked their ship, the  _ Endurance,  _ and being stranded on Yamatai … a veritable asylum that housed countless other castaways and the descendants of castaways who had lived on Yamatai for thousands of years. She told him about her efforts to survive when she had been cut off from the others, their efforts to get off the island …

 

And then she told him the unbelievable part.

 

She told him how the Storm King still existed … trapped in the rotting corpse of a young man who had committed suicide rather than become the latest vessel of the insatiably evil spirit of the Storm King. She told him how they discovered that her best friend Finn Storm was a descendant of the Storm King … and how the madwoman Bazine Netal had tried to bargain for the freedom to leave the island by offering the Storm King Finn's body. She told him of her desperate fight to save her friend's body and soul … her improbable victory and the sad aftermath where their story was written of f as a lie, a publicity stunt, to recoup the money that had been lost with Plutt's death.

 

“Madwoman” was charitably the most polite description Rey heard of herself these days.

 

Somehow, even during the wildest parts of her story, Kylo Ren listened to her. She looked for shock, incredulity … concern … any of the countless looks she had seen in the eyes of the other people she had told this story to.

 

She didn't find it.

 

“Don't say anything,” Rey told; him when she finished. “Don't say anything until after we eat, okay? I just want ...”

 

_ I just want to pretend to be normal …. _

 

When dinner was over, they went for a walk in the crisp autumn air. It was then that Kylo spoke. “I believe you.”

 

Rey barked out a laugh. “Oh of course you do.”

 

“Rey--”

 

“Do you know how many times I've heard people tell me they believe me after I tell them my story? Do you know how many men-- and women-- have thought that if they told me they believed me I'd fall into bed with them out of gratitude? If you're trying to get somewhere with me, Kylo, you'll have to do better than that.”

 

“I'm not trying to get somewhere with you, Rey.” His face went red with embarrassment. “Have you ever heard of the Jedi Order?”

 

“The Jedi Order? That's a myth, surely.” Rey looked at him with honest interest. “They were supposedly a mystical order of some kind … a secular version of the Knights Templar, maybe. They were supposed to have magical powers ...”

 

“It wasn't magic. And the Jedi were real.”

 

“Oh, I know my father had records that indicated that  _ something _ called the Jedi Order lasted until the late 50s … supposedly wiped out during Prime Minister Palpatine's tenure … but surely that was just some rich boy recreation of the original order ...”

 

“No. The Jedi Order lasted for hundreds of years … until they were destroyed by one of their own.” He reached into his coat pocket and handed her something. “Do you know what this is?”

 

“It looks like some sort of hilt,” Rey examined it intently. “But … wait. This isn't a sword hilt. There's no sign it was designed to be part of a sword. It looks like a complete piece in of itself.” She cast a skeptical eye at him. “You're not telling me this is the fabled weapon of the Jedi … a soulsaber?”

 

“I'm not telling you that.” Kylo took the hilt back from her, his fingers seeming incredibly warm against her own. “You already figured it out.”

 

“It can't be a Jedi artifact. It's too new. It's too new to even be from the 1950s. Where did you get it?”

 

“I made it when I was younger.”

 

Oh that explained it. Some boyish prince dreaming of being the next King Arthur … “For a moment I was ready to believe the Jedi still existed.”

 

“They did … until about six years ago.”

 

“What?”

 

“You told me an impossible story. Will you listen to mine?”

 

In spite of herself, Rey nodded.

 

“My grandfather was Anakin Skywalker. You probably heard of him by his other name-- Darth Vader.”

 

Rey blanched. Darth Vader was a boogeyman … Prime Minister Palpatine's right hand man, a dark, scarred figure in black who went hooded and masked wherever he went. Rumor was that he had killed Palpatine on board the ill-fated Deathstar Aircraft carrier in the 1980s … Vader himself conveniently died at the same time so no one ever got official confirmation of the story.

 

“Anakin was a Jedi Knight. He went against his vows-- marrying a beautiful young senator from Naboo named Padme Naberrie. He had a premonition of her death, and was lured to joining the Sith-- the enemies of the Jedi from time immemorial-- by Prime Minister Palpatine--”

 

“Wait a minute. You're saying that Palpatine--  _ the _ Palpatine-- was some kind of monster? A demon?”

 

“He was a man. A very evil man with powers you wouldn't believe unless you saw them.” Kylo closed his eyes for a moment. “Palpainte promised that he could save Padme-- he lied, and she died giving birth to my mother and uncle. Uncle Luke was sent to live with his aunt and uncle and the King of Alderaan adopted my mother. They grew up without knowing that Skywalker-- Vader-- was their father.”

 

“I'm sorry, Kylo--”

 

“Please. Let me finish. You know that Prime Minister Palpatine died, and that Vader died with him. My mother and uncle inherited his abilities … Luke went on to found a new Jedi Order while my mother and father married, becoming the rulers of the refounded country of New Alderaan.”

 

“I know that at least some of that is true, Kylo, but what does that have to do with me?”

 

“You know that about six years ago there was a civil war in New Alderaan?”

 

“I believe I remember seeing something about it on the news,” Rey admitted. “Some noble calling himself Supreme Leader Snoke tried to take over ...”

 

“Yes. Snoke was like Palpatine-- he had abilities that most people would call magic. And he was older than he seemed-- far older.” Kylo closed his eyes. “A Jedi Master can become one with the Force--”

 

“The Force?”

 

“It's the living energy that binds everything together. The Force is what gives a Jedi- and Sith-- his power. Jedi can become one with the Force and manifest themselves to other Force users after death. The Sith do not have this ability. They do things differently.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“They steal bodies like that Storm King you told me about. Snoke had lived for centuries, stealing one body after another. Force Users were his bodies of choice-- their powers being added to his own. He would spend years, decades, corrupting his chosen host … weakening their will until he could steal their bodies and live anew.”

 

A sick feeling began to grow in Rey's stomach. “You. He went after you.”

 

“Yes. I was the Crown Prince. I was strong in the Force. Snoke started grooming me when I was in the womb. My parents didn't understand what was happening, but they sent me to study at my uncle's academy. Snoke's hold on me was too strong by that point-- Luke almost killed me, thinking that was the only way to free me. I … gave in. I became Snoke's servant, his creature. I burned Luke's Academy to the ground, killing my fellow students.”

 

His hands were shaking. He couldn't look her in the eyes.

 

“Kylo--” She had killed before. She had killed so many men now that she had lost count.

 

“My father saved me. He gave his life to save me. Together, we killed Snoke … and I thought I was free. But I'm not.” Kylo tapped his forehead. “A fragment of him is still in my head. Whispering. He can't control me now, but he can drive me insane … or to kill myself. I only have one hope … the Kaiburr Crystal.”

 

“The Kaiburr Crystal. It's an artifact of the jungle country Mimban. Rumor has that it has miraculous healing abilities. People have spent fortunes trying to find it since the 19 th Century.” 

 

“Yes. I think I can find it. But I need someone to help me.”

 

“Me? You want me to help you? Kylo ...” Rey shook her head. “I can't believe I'M the one saying this, but this is a mad idea. I think you may need help, but you don't need some magical crystal ...”

 

Kylo sighed. “Rey, you examined the hilt, right?”

 

“Yes ...” Rey replied, not seeing where he was going with this.

 

“You didn't see any sign of a power supply, right? No concealed blade?”

 

“No. I didn't.”

 

“Come with me.” Kylo walked over to an alley and stepped into it. “You can stay outside of it if you like. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable.”

 

“Too late for that, your highness,” Rey whispered, but she did not attempt to leave.

 

Kylo took the hilt of his soulsaber. “Do you want to examine it again? To make sure you didn't miss anything?”

 

“I don't miss things.”

 

“All right.” Kylo clenched the hilt in one fist.

 

And a blade of fiery, sputtering red light lit up the alley.

 

“That's-- that's impossible,” Rey sputtered.

 

Kylo swiped at one of the brick walls. The blade flared, and when he drew back Rey could see the brick scored as though someone had taken an acetylene torch to it. “It's real.”

 

“How are you doing that?”

 

“The Force allows me to channel my life force through the hilt of my soulsaber. The blade is a reflection of me.” Kyle unclenched his hand and the blade went out. “The blade is what it is because of what Snoke did to me. If the Kaiburr Crystal heals me, the blade will heal as well.”

 

“What do you want from me, Kylo?”

 

“I'm not entirely sure,” Kylo admitted. “It's just … I saw the articles about you. I heard fragments of your story, and I thought … you went through something like I did. You were able to help your friend Finn. Maybe … maybe you can help me.” Kylo held the hilt up again. “I don't want to be Kylo Ren. I want to be Ben Solo again, but I can't be him-- I can't lead my people-- until I'm clean. Until I'm free of what Snoke did to me. 

 

“And I can't do it alone. I'll never make it to the Temple myself. Hux and Phasma will help me to the best of their ability, but I need someone else. The Force is telling me that the person I need is you. Join me? _ Please. _ ”

 

“Kylo-- you don't know what you're asking of me. The hell I went through on Yamatai. I can't go through that again. You have no idea what it did to me. It ruined my friendships. It destroyed my life. I'm so alone--”

 

“You're not alone.” Kylo reached out and touched her hand again. “I promise you, you're not alone. Even if you don't go with me-- even if you can't, I promise you're not alone.”

 

Rey stared at him for a moment. She reached out and took his hand. “Neither are you.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “All right. I'll go to Mimban with you. If I can help you, I will.”

 

“Thank you, Rey. Thank you.” Kylo smiled at her.

 

“Let's go back to my flat.” Rey smirked when she saw the stunned look in his eyes. “To pack, you idiot. And you can tell me everything you know about Mimban.”

 

“All right,” Kylo whispered. He seemed shocked that she had agreed to help him.

 

“Right then. Let's do this.” Rey pulled him out of the alley. “Come on, your highness. We've got a lot to do.”

 

Hand in hand, Rey pulled him out of the darkness.

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“You know this is a bad idea, right, Ren?” Armitage Hux asked as the two of them made their way through the crowded saloon to the bar. “From what I hear, this bird is an absolute beast, a madwoman.”

 

“We need her.” Chewbacca had told him that she had been frequenting this bar since Yamatai. His honorary uncle had not been willing to tell him everything that had happened, but he had heard enough to know that this Rey Croft was an extraordinary woman. “And don't call her 'bird' unless you want to have your nose broken-- and that's if you're lucky.”

 

Kylo only paid cursory attention to the media these days, but the story of Rey Croft and the crew of the _Endurance_ and the hellhole of an island named Yamatai had attracted to his interest. He had tasked his personal assistant Dopeheld Mitaka with finding out everything he could about the young woman. The general public believed the entire story to be a publicity stunt gone awry, but Kylo's own experiences told him that there was likely a grain of truth in the wild tales.

 

_She can help me …but_ _**will** _ _ she? _

 

Kylo fought down the fear that this was a fool's errand. His own family refused to help him-- even Chewie had only  _ reluctantly  _ told him the truth story of the  _ Endurance. _ What hope could he have that a stranger would be willing to listen?

 

_ You're nothing, boy, _ the voice of Snoke whispered in his ear.  _ You will never be free. You will never be clean. You will be my creature  _ _**forever.** _

 

_ No, _ Kylo thought to himself.  _ I won't be-- I'll die before I remain like this forever. _

 

_Then die, boy. You're dead to your family already …_

 

“Kylo.” Hux grabbed his shoulder. “ _ Ben.  _ Don't listen to the daft old codger. I know he's still rattling around in your head, but you beat him. You're better than him. Don't you ever forget that.”

 

“Thanks, Armitage.” He gripped the other man's shoulder in return. “I don't know where I'd be without you.”

 

“Drunk in a gutter, probably.” Hux rolled his eyes. “Enough of this sentimentality. If we're going to talk to this bir-- then we better go over there and bloody talk to her.”

 

Rey Croft sat at the bar, holding a drink. A young woman was standing next to her, talking earnestly but gently to her. “Rey … it's not that he doesn't care about you ...”

 

“Then why won't he see me?” Rey Croft turned from her drink and stared at the other woman.”All that we went through … all I did for him … and instead of having the  _ courage _ to face me himself he sends his bloody  _ girlfriend _ over to give me the 'it's not you it's me' speech. Finn Storm is my friend, Rose Tico. He's like a  _ brother _ to me … and now he won't even  _ see _ me.”

 

“Finn's … not well, Rey. Doctor Holdo says that he's not ready to see you yet. We all went through so much on Yamatai … the two of you most of all. I know he still cares about you. He wants to see you, but he just … can't. He needs time.”

 

“Tell him to take all the time he needs then,” Rey downed her glass with an efficiency Kylo's father would have envied. “He knows where to find me.”

 

“Rey … I'm worried about you too. You should get help. I know Dr. Holdo would like to talk to you ...”

 

“Tell Holdo to sod off, Rose. I'm tired of people calling me a liar-- or worse, a maniac-- to my face. Maybe Finn and you can pretend it didn't happen, but  _ I  _ can't. I still see it in my dreams-- everything that happened on that damn island ...everything I had to do to survive ...”

 

“Rey ...”

 

“Sod off, Rose. Go. Just … go.”

 

The other woman bit her lip. “If that's the way you want it--”

 

“That's the way I want it.”

 

“Goodbye, Rey.”

 

“'Bye, Rose. Give Finn my love.”

 

“I … will.” Rose walked away.

 

“I need another drink!” Rey shouted at the bartender.

 

The man shook his head.

 

“Give the lady what she asks for, and my friend and I will have more of the same.” Kylo laid a handful of bills on the table.

 

The bartender frowned, but poured the drinks and put them on the table.

 

Rey Croft turned and looked at him.

 

She had plainly been drinking to excess for quite some time. Her breath stank of whiskey, and her eyes were bloodshot. She wore her hair in some weird three bun style that only a drunkard would think presentable. Her lip was quivering and unshed tears glistened in those red eyes.

 

Kylo Ren felt his heart stop when he looked into those tragic eyes.

 

“Who the bloody kriff are you?”

 

“I'm Kylo Ren. This is my friend and associate Armitage Hux. We have a proposition for you.” Hux coughed and smothered a laugh.

 

“He means a business proposition, love,” Hux told her. “Our boy Kylo here doesn't know how to talk to a beautiful woman. He grew up on a monastery, you see...”

 

“Right.” Rey snorted and took a sip of her drink. “A business proposition.”

 

“Can we go somewhere to talk? Somewhere less public? Somewhere private?”

 

Hux rolled his eyes. “Oh, that doesn't sound creepy, Kylo.”

 

“Shut up, Hux.” Kylo turned hopeful eyes to Rey. “I'll make it worth your while.” Even  _ he  _ understood how that sounded. “I mean … I just want some of you time. It doesn't have to be that private. A restaurant would be fine.”

 

“A royal invitation,” Rey murmured. “How can I refuse?”

 

“Royal?” Kylo inquired, his pale face going even whiter.

 

“My roommate …  _ former  _ roommate Finn Storm has dreams of working in the media. He bought all the scandal rags and even the more  _ respectable  _ periodicals. I recognize the Crown Prince of New Alderaan when I see him.” Rey's eyes flickered towards Hux. “Who's this?”

 

“General Armitage Hux, late of the New Alderaan Army, Lady Rey.” Hux sketched a bow. “If we're going to use titles that is. My wife Phasma is Captain of the Royal Guard-- and I'm currently tasked with making sure the young Prince here stays out of trouble.”

 

“Don't call me, 'lady,'” Rey retorted. “The family fortune and grounds-- what's left of them-- are currently left in trust.”

 

“Then don't call me 'prince' or 'your highness,'” Kylo replied, a hint of anger in his voice.  _ I'm not worthy to be a prince any longer … at least not yet. _

 

“Well now that the niceties are out of the way, what do you want?” Rey took another sip of her drink.

 

“A few minutes of your time,” Kylo added quickly. “We have a mutual friend.” If Chewie still considered himself a friend … after what had happened to Kylo's father … what  _ Kylo _ had done to his father … “Chewbacca.”

 

“That big hairball? He really is  _ that _ Chewbacca? I thought he was lying.” Rey's lips twitched. “He must be even older than he looks.”

 

“He used to tell me he was over 200 years old,” Kylo admitted. “It wouldn't be the strangest thing I ever heard if that was true ...”

 

Rey gave him a measuring look. “Me either.”

 

“There's a club not too far from here. Takodona. The owner's a friend of Chewie's. Maz Kanata. Have you ever been there?” Kylo held his breath. This was the closest he'd come to asking a woman out in his entire life … and it wasn't even for a date.

 

“I know of it. Chewie used to talk about it all the time. Said when we got back he'd treat us all to the best dinner we ever had.” Rey finished her drink. “It didn't work out.”

 

“I understand. You'll come with us?”

 

“With you, you mean.” Hux finished his own drink, grimacing at the trust. “I'm afraid I'm going to have to turn in.”

 

“But, Hux--” Kylo fought down a sudden panic. Hux knew him. Hux knew his story. He could trust Hux to keep him from getting hurt-- or hurting someone else.”

 

“Ben.” Hux squeezed his hand. “You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. You'll be fine.” He nodded to Rey. “And I'm sure this one can take care of both herself and you if the occasion calls for it.” He lowered his voice to a whisper that Rey couldn't hear. “She'll listen, Ben. I can tell. You were right. She's just what  _ you _ need.”

 

“What we need,” Kylo corrected automatically.

 

“Right. We.” Hux smirked and turned back to Rey. “He can be a bit of an arsehole at times, but Kylo's a good bloke. Bring him back to me in one piece.” There was a hint of a threat in his voice.

 

“I don't have the best track record for that,” Rey admitted easily, “but I'll do my best.”

 

“That'll have to do. I'll see you back at the hotel, Kylo.” Hux nodded to them both and then walked off.

 

“An interesting man,” Rey allowed.

 

“He's my best friend.” A soft smile broke across Kylo's lips. “With the possible exception of his wife, he's my  _ only _ friend.”

 

“I know what that's like. Shall we go?”

 

“Keep the change,” Kylo told the bartender as they got up.

 

“You made his night, you know.”

 

“Because of the tip?”

 

“Well, that and seeing me walk out of the bar with a man. Most of the time when a bloke approaches me he walks away empty handed-- sometimes  _ broken handed _ – if he's too persistent.” She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “I can take care of myself. Just in case you were wondering.”

 

“I know,” Kylo admitted. That was one of the reasons he had looked her up.

 

They were silent as they made their way to Maz's diner. They were a curious pair. A young earl's daughter dressed like a thrift shop refugee and the dark clad son of a queen who looked more like a university professor than a prince.

 

Maz was tiny, and so old that she looked almost young. “Ah, young Solo … and do my eyes deceive me or is this the legendary Rey Croft that my boyfriend has told me so much about?”

 

Rey blushed. “You and Chewie--?”

 

“Oh we've been an off and on thing for decades, dearie,” Maz smirked at her. She glanced over at Kylo and laid a hand on his. “Oh, Ben. I was so sorry to hear about Han ...”

 

“Me too,” Kylo looked away. He didn't want her to see the truth in his eyes.

 

“I'll give you two the best booth in the house. It's enclosed, but you can see out of the glass-- it's absolutely soundproof if you two want to whisper sweet nothings to each other.”

 

Kylo blushed. “It's a business meeting, Maz.”

 

“Of course it is.” Maz looks at Rey. “I think you could do with some tea, my girl. Ben?”

 

“Tea will be fine for me too. Are you hungry?” He asked Rey.

 

The young woman smiled. “I'm  _ always _ hungry.”

 

“Fine. Menus. And an appetizer if you have something ready.”

 

“Of course, Ben. Of course.” The tiny Maz led through the crowded diner and to a raised booth that had a perfect view of the stage.

 

When they sat down and had their tea delivered along with something to tide them over until their real meal was ready, Rey looked again at him. “What do you want … Ben Solo or Kylo Ren or whatever you call yourself?”

 

“I want to hear your story.”

 

“You can read the papers for that.” Rey shrugged.

 

“I want to hear the real story.”

 

“No you don't.”

 

“Yes. Yes I do.”

 

“You won't believe it.”

 

“You'd be surprised at what I'd believe, Ms. Croft.”

 

“Rey. Call me Rey.”

 

“All right, Rey.  _ Please.  _ Tell me the true story. I promise you I have reasons other than idle curiosity.”

 

So she did.

 

She told him how her mentor and guardian Unkar Plutt had assembled a crew and obtained a ship-- partially funded with the Croft Estate, partially by an advancement on a proposed reality series based on their expedition-- and went looking for the island of Yamatai, home to the legendary Storm King who had supposedly ruled for centuries. She told him about the storm that had wrecked their ship, the  _ Endurance,  _ and being stranded on Yamatai … a veritable asylum that housed countless other castaways and the descendants of castaways who had lived on Yamatai for thousands of years. She told him about her efforts to survive when she had been cut off from the others, their efforts to get off the island …

 

And then she told him the unbelievable part.

 

She told him how the Storm King still existed … trapped in the rotting corpse of a young man who had committed suicide rather than become the latest vessel of the insatiably evil spirit of the Storm King. She told him how they discovered that her best friend Finn Storm was a descendant of the Storm King … and how the madwoman Bazine Netal had tried to bargain for the freedom to leave the island by offering the Storm King Finn's body. She told him of her desperate fight to save her friend's body and soul … her improbable victory and the sad aftermath where their story was written of f as a lie, a publicity stunt, to recoup the money that had been lost with Plutt's death.

 

“Madwoman” was charitably the most polite description Rey heard of herself these days.

 

Somehow, even during the wildest parts of her story, Kylo Ren listened to her. She looked for shock, incredulity … concern … any of the countless looks she had seen in the eyes of the other people she had told this story to.

 

She didn't find it.

 

“Don't say anything,” Rey told; him when she finished. “Don't say anything until after we eat, okay? I just want ...”

 

_ I just want to pretend to be normal …. _

 

When dinner was over, they went for a walk in the crisp autumn air. It was then that Kylo spoke. “I believe you.”

 

Rey barked out a laugh. “Oh of course you do.”

 

“Rey--”

 

“Do you know how many times I've heard people tell me they believe me after I tell them my story? Do you know how many men-- and women-- have thought that if they told me they believed me I'd fall into bed with them out of gratitude? If you're trying to get somewhere with me, Kylo, you'll have to do better than that.”

 

“I'm not trying to get somewhere with you, Rey.” His face went red with embarrassment. “Have you ever heard of the Jedi Order?”

 

“The Jedi Order? That's a myth, surely.” Rey looked at him with honest interest. “They were supposedly a mystical order of some kind … a secular version of the Knights Templar, maybe. They were supposed to have magical powers ...”

 

“It wasn't magic. And the Jedi were real.”

 

“Oh, I know my father had records that indicated that  _ something _ called the Jedi Order lasted until the late 50s … supposedly wiped out during Prime Minister Palpatine's tenure … but surely that was just some rich boy recreation of the original order ...”

 

“No. The Jedi Order lasted for hundreds of years … until they were destroyed by one of their own.” He reached into his coat pocket and handed her something. “Do you know what this is?”

 

“It looks like some sort of hilt,” Rey examined it intently. “But … wait. This isn't a sword hilt. There's no sign it was designed to be part of a sword. It looks like a complete piece in of itself.” She cast a skeptical eye at him. “You're not telling me this is the fabled weapon of the Jedi … a soulsaber?”

 

“I'm not telling you that.” Kylo took the hilt back from her, his fingers seeming incredibly warm against her own. “You already figured it out.”

 

“It can't be a Jedi artifact. It's too new. It's too new to even be from the 1950s. Where did you get it?”

 

“I made it when I was younger.”

 

Oh that explained it. Some boyish prince dreaming of being the next King Arthur … “For a moment I was ready to believe the Jedi still existed.”

 

“They did … until about six years ago.”

 

“What?”

 

“You told me an impossible story. Will you listen to mine?”

 

In spite of herself, Rey nodded.

 

“My grandfather was Anakin Skywalker. You probably heard of him by his other name-- Darth Vader.”

 

Rey blanched. Darth Vader was a boogeyman … Prime Minister Palpatine's right hand man, a dark, scarred figure in black who went hooded and masked wherever he went. Rumor was that he had killed Palpatine on board the ill-fated Deathstar Aircraft carrier in the 1980s … Vader himself conveniently died at the same time so no one ever got official confirmation of the story.

 

“Anakin was a Jedi Knight. He went against his vows-- marrying a beautiful young senator from Naboo named Padme Naberrie. He had a premonition of her death, and was lured to joining the Sith-- the enemies of the Jedi from time immemorial-- by Prime Minister Palpatine--”

 

“Wait a minute. You're saying that Palpatine--  _ the _ Palpatine-- was some kind of monster? A demon?”

 

“He was a man. A very evil man with powers you wouldn't believe unless you saw them.” Kylo closed his eyes for a moment. “Palpainte promised that he could save Padme-- he lied, and she died giving birth to my mother and uncle. Uncle Luke was sent to live with his aunt and uncle and the King of Alderaan adopted my mother. They grew up without knowing that Skywalker-- Vader-- was their father.”

 

“I'm sorry, Kylo--”

 

“Please. Let me finish. You know that Prime Minister Palpatine died, and that Vader died with him. My mother and uncle inherited his abilities … Luke went on to found a new Jedi Order while my mother and father married, becoming the rulers of the refounded country of New Alderaan.”

 

“I know that at least some of that is true, Kylo, but what does that have to do with me?”

 

“You know that about six years ago there was a civil war in New Alderaan?”

 

“I believe I remember seeing something about it on the news,” Rey admitted. “Some noble calling himself Supreme Leader Snoke tried to take over ...”

 

“Yes. Snoke was like Palpatine-- he had abilities that most people would call magic. And he was older than he seemed-- far older.” Kylo closed his eyes. “A Jedi Master can become one with the Force--”

 

“The Force?”

 

“It's the living energy that binds everything together. The Force is what gives a Jedi- and Sith-- his power. Jedi can become one with the Force and manifest themselves to other Force users after death. The Sith do not have this ability. They do things differently.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“They steal bodies like that Storm King you told me about. Snoke had lived for centuries, stealing one body after another. Force Users were his bodies of choice-- their powers being added to his own. He would spend years, decades, corrupting his chosen host … weakening their will until he could steal their bodies and live anew.”

 

A sick feeling began to grow in Rey's stomach. “You. He went after you.”

 

“Yes. I was the Crown Prince. I was strong in the Force. Snoke started grooming me when I was in the womb. My parents didn't understand what was happening, but they sent me to study at my uncle's academy. Snoke's hold on me was too strong by that point-- Luke almost killed me, thinking that was the only way to free me. I … gave in. I became Snoke's servant, his creature. I burned Luke's Academy to the ground, killing my fellow students.”

 

His hands were shaking. He couldn't look her in the eyes.

 

“Kylo--” She had killed before. She had killed so many men now that she had lost count.

 

“My father saved me. He gave his life to save me. Together, we killed Snoke … and I thought I was free. But I'm not.” Kylo tapped his forehead. “A fragment of him is still in my head. Whispering. He can't control me now, but he can drive me insane … or to kill myself. I only have one hope … the Kaiburr Crystal.”

 

“The Kaiburr Crystal. It's an artifact of the jungle country Mimban. Rumor has that it has miraculous healing abilities. People have spent fortunes trying to find it since the 19 th Century.” 

 

“Yes. I think I can find it. But I need someone to help me.”

 

“Me? You want me to help you? Kylo ...” Rey shook her head. “I can't believe I'M the one saying this, but this is a mad idea. I think you may need help, but you don't need some magical crystal ...”

 

Kylo sighed. “Rey, you examined the hilt, right?”

 

“Yes ...” Rey replied, not seeing where he was going with this.

 

“You didn't see any sign of a power supply, right? No concealed blade?”

 

“No. I didn't.”

 

“Come with me.” Kylo walked over to an alley and stepped into it. “You can stay outside of it if you like. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable.”

 

“Too late for that, your highness,” Rey whispered, but she did not attempt to leave.

 

Kylo took the hilt of his soulsaber. “Do you want to examine it again? To make sure you didn't miss anything?”

 

“I don't miss things.”

 

“All right.” Kylo clenched the hilt in one fist.

 

And a blade of fiery, sputtering red light lit up the alley.

 

“That's-- that's impossible,” Rey sputtered.

 

Kylo swiped at one of the brick walls. The blade flared, and when he drew back Rey could see the brick scored as though someone had taken an acetylene torch to it. “It's real.”

 

“How are you doing that?”

 

“The Force allows me to channel my life force through the hilt of my soulsaber. The blade is a reflection of me.” Kyle unclenched his hand and the blade went out. “The blade is what it is because of what Snoke did to me. If the Kaiburr Crystal heals me, the blade will heal as well.”

 

“What do you want from me, Kylo?”

 

“I'm not entirely sure,” Kylo admitted. “It's just … I saw the articles about you. I heard fragments of your story, and I thought … you went through something like I did. You were able to help your friend Finn. Maybe … maybe you can help me.” Kylo held the hilt up again. “I don't want to be Kylo Ren. I want to be Ben Solo again, but I can't be him-- I can't lead my people-- until I'm clean. Until I'm free of what Snoke did to me. 

 

“And I can't do it alone. I'll never make it to the Temple myself. Hux and Phasma will help me to the best of their ability, but I need someone else. The Force is telling me that the person I need is you. Join me? _ Please. _ ”

 

“Kylo-- you don't know what you're asking of me. The hell I went through on Yamatai. I can't go through that again. You have no idea what it did to me. It ruined my friendships. It destroyed my life. I'm so alone--”

 

“You're not alone.” Kylo reached out and touched her hand again. “I promise you, you're not alone. Even if you don't go with me-- even if you can't, I promise you're not alone.”

 

Rey stared at him for a moment. She reached out and took his hand. “Neither are you.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “All right. I'll go to Mimban with you. If I can help you, I will.”

 

“Thank you, Rey. Thank you.” Kylo smiled at her.

 

“Let's go back to my flat.” Rey smirked when she saw the stunned look in his eyes. “To pack, you idiot. And you can tell me everything you know about Mimban.”

 

“All right,” Kylo whispered. He seemed shocked that she had agreed to help him.

 

“Right then. Let's do this.” Rey pulled him out of the alley. “Come on, your highness. We've got a lot to do.”

 

Hand in hand, Rey pulled him out of the darkness.

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“You know this is a bad idea, right, Ren?” Armitage Hux asked as the two of them made their way through the crowded saloon to the bar. “From what I hear, this bird is an absolute beast, a madwoman.”

 

“We need her.” Chewbacca had told him that she had been frequenting this bar since Yamatai. His honorary uncle had not been willing to tell him everything that had happened, but he had heard enough to know that this Rey Croft was an extraordinary woman. “And don't call her 'bird' unless you want to have your nose broken-- and that's if you're lucky.”

 

Kylo only paid cursory attention to the media these days, but the story of Rey Croft and the crew of the _Endurance_ and the hellhole of an island named Yamatai had attracted to his interest. He had tasked his personal assistant Dopeheld Mitaka with finding out everything he could about the young woman. The general public believed the entire story to be a publicity stunt gone awry, but Kylo's own experiences told him that there was likely a grain of truth in the wild tales.

 

_She can help me …but_ _**will** _ _ she? _

 

Kylo fought down the fear that this was a fool's errand. His own family refused to help him-- even Chewie had only  _ reluctantly  _ told him the truth story of the  _ Endurance. _ What hope could he have that a stranger would be willing to listen?

 

_ You're nothing, boy, _ the voice of Snoke whispered in his ear.  _ You will never be free. You will never be clean. You will be my creature  _ _**forever.** _

 

_ No, _ Kylo thought to himself.  _ I won't be-- I'll die before I remain like this forever. _

 

_Then die, boy. You're dead to your family already …_

 

“Kylo.” Hux grabbed his shoulder. “ _ Ben.  _ Don't listen to the daft old codger. I know he's still rattling around in your head, but you beat him. You're better than him. Don't you ever forget that.”

 

“Thanks, Armitage.” He gripped the other man's shoulder in return. “I don't know where I'd be without you.”

 

“Drunk in a gutter, probably.” Hux rolled his eyes. “Enough of this sentimentality. If we're going to talk to this bir-- then we better go over there and bloody talk to her.”

 

Rey Croft sat at the bar, holding a drink. A young woman was standing next to her, talking earnestly but gently to her. “Rey … it's not that he doesn't care about you ...”

 

“Then why won't he see me?” Rey Croft turned from her drink and stared at the other woman.”All that we went through … all I did for him … and instead of having the  _ courage _ to face me himself he sends his bloody  _ girlfriend _ over to give me the 'it's not you it's me' speech. Finn Storm is my friend, Rose Tico. He's like a  _ brother _ to me … and now he won't even  _ see _ me.”

 

“Finn's … not well, Rey. Doctor Holdo says that he's not ready to see you yet. We all went through so much on Yamatai … the two of you most of all. I know he still cares about you. He wants to see you, but he just … can't. He needs time.”

 

“Tell him to take all the time he needs then,” Rey downed her glass with an efficiency Kylo's father would have envied. “He knows where to find me.”

 

“Rey … I'm worried about you too. You should get help. I know Dr. Holdo would like to talk to you ...”

 

“Tell Holdo to sod off, Rose. I'm tired of people calling me a liar-- or worse, a maniac-- to my face. Maybe Finn and you can pretend it didn't happen, but  _ I  _ can't. I still see it in my dreams-- everything that happened on that damn island ...everything I had to do to survive ...”

 

“Rey ...”

 

“Sod off, Rose. Go. Just … go.”

 

The other woman bit her lip. “If that's the way you want it--”

 

“That's the way I want it.”

 

“Goodbye, Rey.”

 

“'Bye, Rose. Give Finn my love.”

 

“I … will.” Rose walked away.

 

“I need another drink!” Rey shouted at the bartender.

 

The man shook his head.

 

“Give the lady what she asks for, and my friend and I will have more of the same.” Kylo laid a handful of bills on the table.

 

The bartender frowned, but poured the drinks and put them on the table.

 

Rey Croft turned and looked at him.

 

She had plainly been drinking to excess for quite some time. Her breath stank of whiskey, and her eyes were bloodshot. She wore her hair in some weird three bun style that only a drunkard would think presentable. Her lip was quivering and unshed tears glistened in those red eyes.

 

Kylo Ren felt his heart stop when he looked into those tragic eyes.

 

“Who the bloody kriff are you?”

 

“I'm Kylo Ren. This is my friend and associate Armitage Hux. We have a proposition for you.” Hux coughed and smothered a laugh.

 

“He means a business proposition, love,” Hux told her. “Our boy Kylo here doesn't know how to talk to a beautiful woman. He grew up on a monastery, you see...”

 

“Right.” Rey snorted and took a sip of her drink. “A business proposition.”

 

“Can we go somewhere to talk? Somewhere less public? Somewhere private?”

 

Hux rolled his eyes. “Oh, that doesn't sound creepy, Kylo.”

 

“Shut up, Hux.” Kylo turned hopeful eyes to Rey. “I'll make it worth your while.” Even  _ he  _ understood how that sounded. “I mean … I just want some of you time. It doesn't have to be that private. A restaurant would be fine.”

 

“A royal invitation,” Rey murmured. “How can I refuse?”

 

“Royal?” Kylo inquired, his pale face going even whiter.

 

“My roommate …  _ former  _ roommate Finn Storm has dreams of working in the media. He bought all the scandal rags and even the more  _ respectable  _ periodicals. I recognize the Crown Prince of New Alderaan when I see him.” Rey's eyes flickered towards Hux. “Who's this?”

 

“General Armitage Hux, late of the New Alderaan Army, Lady Rey.” Hux sketched a bow. “If we're going to use titles that is. My wife Phasma is Captain of the Royal Guard-- and I'm currently tasked with making sure the young Prince here stays out of trouble.”

 

“Don't call me, 'lady,'” Rey retorted. “The family fortune and grounds-- what's left of them-- are currently left in trust.”

 

“Then don't call me 'prince' or 'your highness,'” Kylo replied, a hint of anger in his voice.  _ I'm not worthy to be a prince any longer … at least not yet. _

 

“Well now that the niceties are out of the way, what do you want?” Rey took another sip of her drink.

 

“A few minutes of your time,” Kylo added quickly. “We have a mutual friend.” If Chewie still considered himself a friend … after what had happened to Kylo's father … what  _ Kylo _ had done to his father … “Chewbacca.”

 

“That big hairball? He really is  _ that _ Chewbacca? I thought he was lying.” Rey's lips twitched. “He must be even older than he looks.”

 

“He used to tell me he was over 200 years old,” Kylo admitted. “It wouldn't be the strangest thing I ever heard if that was true ...”

 

Rey gave him a measuring look. “Me either.”

 

“There's a club not too far from here. Takodona. The owner's a friend of Chewie's. Maz Kanata. Have you ever been there?” Kylo held his breath. This was the closest he'd come to asking a woman out in his entire life … and it wasn't even for a date.

 

“I know of it. Chewie used to talk about it all the time. Said when we got back he'd treat us all to the best dinner we ever had.” Rey finished her drink. “It didn't work out.”

 

“I understand. You'll come with us?”

 

“With you, you mean.” Hux finished his own drink, grimacing at the trust. “I'm afraid I'm going to have to turn in.”

 

“But, Hux--” Kylo fought down a sudden panic. Hux knew him. Hux knew his story. He could trust Hux to keep him from getting hurt-- or hurting someone else.”

 

“Ben.” Hux squeezed his hand. “You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. You'll be fine.” He nodded to Rey. “And I'm sure this one can take care of both herself and you if the occasion calls for it.” He lowered his voice to a whisper that Rey couldn't hear. “She'll listen, Ben. I can tell. You were right. She's just what  _ you _ need.”

 

“What we need,” Kylo corrected automatically.

 

“Right. We.” Hux smirked and turned back to Rey. “He can be a bit of an arsehole at times, but Kylo's a good bloke. Bring him back to me in one piece.” There was a hint of a threat in his voice.

 

“I don't have the best track record for that,” Rey admitted easily, “but I'll do my best.”

 

“That'll have to do. I'll see you back at the hotel, Kylo.” Hux nodded to them both and then walked off.

 

“An interesting man,” Rey allowed.

 

“He's my best friend.” A soft smile broke across Kylo's lips. “With the possible exception of his wife, he's my  _ only _ friend.”

 

“I know what that's like. Shall we go?”

 

“Keep the change,” Kylo told the bartender as they got up.

 

“You made his night, you know.”

 

“Because of the tip?”

 

“Well, that and seeing me walk out of the bar with a man. Most of the time when a bloke approaches me he walks away empty handed-- sometimes  _ broken handed _ – if he's too persistent.” She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “I can take care of myself. Just in case you were wondering.”

 

“I know,” Kylo admitted. That was one of the reasons he had looked her up.

 

They were silent as they made their way to Maz's diner. They were a curious pair. A young earl's daughter dressed like a thrift shop refugee and the dark clad son of a queen who looked more like a university professor than a prince.

 

Maz was tiny, and so old that she looked almost young. “Ah, young Solo … and do my eyes deceive me or is this the legendary Rey Croft that my boyfriend has told me so much about?”

 

Rey blushed. “You and Chewie--?”

 

“Oh we've been an off and on thing for decades, dearie,” Maz smirked at her. She glanced over at Kylo and laid a hand on his. “Oh, Ben. I was so sorry to hear about Han ...”

 

“Me too,” Kylo looked away. He didn't want her to see the truth in his eyes.

 

“I'll give you two the best booth in the house. It's enclosed, but you can see out of the glass-- it's absolutely soundproof if you two want to whisper sweet nothings to each other.”

 

Kylo blushed. “It's a business meeting, Maz.”

 

“Of course it is.” Maz looks at Rey. “I think you could do with some tea, my girl. Ben?”

 

“Tea will be fine for me too. Are you hungry?” He asked Rey.

 

The young woman smiled. “I'm  _ always _ hungry.”

 

“Fine. Menus. And an appetizer if you have something ready.”

 

“Of course, Ben. Of course.” The tiny Maz led through the crowded diner and to a raised booth that had a perfect view of the stage.

 

When they sat down and had their tea delivered along with something to tide them over until their real meal was ready, Rey looked again at him. “What do you want … Ben Solo or Kylo Ren or whatever you call yourself?”

 

“I want to hear your story.”

 

“You can read the papers for that.” Rey shrugged.

 

“I want to hear the real story.”

 

“No you don't.”

 

“Yes. Yes I do.”

 

“You won't believe it.”

 

“You'd be surprised at what I'd believe, Ms. Croft.”

 

“Rey. Call me Rey.”

 

“All right, Rey.  _ Please.  _ Tell me the true story. I promise you I have reasons other than idle curiosity.”

 

So she did.

 

She told him how her mentor and guardian Unkar Plutt had assembled a crew and obtained a ship-- partially funded with the Croft Estate, partially by an advancement on a proposed reality series based on their expedition-- and went looking for the island of Yamatai, home to the legendary Storm King who had supposedly ruled for centuries. She told him about the storm that had wrecked their ship, the  _ Endurance,  _ and being stranded on Yamatai … a veritable asylum that housed countless other castaways and the descendants of castaways who had lived on Yamatai for thousands of years. She told him about her efforts to survive when she had been cut off from the others, their efforts to get off the island …

 

And then she told him the unbelievable part.

 

She told him how the Storm King still existed … trapped in the rotting corpse of a young man who had committed suicide rather than become the latest vessel of the insatiably evil spirit of the Storm King. She told him how they discovered that her best friend Finn Storm was a descendant of the Storm King … and how the madwoman Bazine Netal had tried to bargain for the freedom to leave the island by offering the Storm King Finn's body. She told him of her desperate fight to save her friend's body and soul … her improbable victory and the sad aftermath where their story was written of f as a lie, a publicity stunt, to recoup the money that had been lost with Plutt's death.

 

“Madwoman” was charitably the most polite description Rey heard of herself these days.

 

Somehow, even during the wildest parts of her story, Kylo Ren listened to her. She looked for shock, incredulity … concern … any of the countless looks she had seen in the eyes of the other people she had told this story to.

 

She didn't find it.

 

“Don't say anything,” Rey told; him when she finished. “Don't say anything until after we eat, okay? I just want ...”

 

_ I just want to pretend to be normal …. _

 

When dinner was over, they went for a walk in the crisp autumn air. It was then that Kylo spoke. “I believe you.”

 

Rey barked out a laugh. “Oh of course you do.”

 

“Rey--”

 

“Do you know how many times I've heard people tell me they believe me after I tell them my story? Do you know how many men-- and women-- have thought that if they told me they believed me I'd fall into bed with them out of gratitude? If you're trying to get somewhere with me, Kylo, you'll have to do better than that.”

 

“I'm not trying to get somewhere with you, Rey.” His face went red with embarrassment. “Have you ever heard of the Jedi Order?”

 

“The Jedi Order? That's a myth, surely.” Rey looked at him with honest interest. “They were supposedly a mystical order of some kind … a secular version of the Knights Templar, maybe. They were supposed to have magical powers ...”

 

“It wasn't magic. And the Jedi were real.”

 

“Oh, I know my father had records that indicated that  _ something _ called the Jedi Order lasted until the late 50s … supposedly wiped out during Prime Minister Palpatine's tenure … but surely that was just some rich boy recreation of the original order ...”

 

“No. The Jedi Order lasted for hundreds of years … until they were destroyed by one of their own.” He reached into his coat pocket and handed her something. “Do you know what this is?”

 

“It looks like some sort of hilt,” Rey examined it intently. “But … wait. This isn't a sword hilt. There's no sign it was designed to be part of a sword. It looks like a complete piece in of itself.” She cast a skeptical eye at him. “You're not telling me this is the fabled weapon of the Jedi … a soulsaber?”

 

“I'm not telling you that.” Kylo took the hilt back from her, his fingers seeming incredibly warm against her own. “You already figured it out.”

 

“It can't be a Jedi artifact. It's too new. It's too new to even be from the 1950s. Where did you get it?”

 

“I made it when I was younger.”

 

Oh that explained it. Some boyish prince dreaming of being the next King Arthur … “For a moment I was ready to believe the Jedi still existed.”

 

“They did … until about six years ago.”

 

“What?”

 

“You told me an impossible story. Will you listen to mine?”

 

In spite of herself, Rey nodded.

 

“My grandfather was Anakin Skywalker. You probably heard of him by his other name-- Darth Vader.”

 

Rey blanched. Darth Vader was a boogeyman … Prime Minister Palpatine's right hand man, a dark, scarred figure in black who went hooded and masked wherever he went. Rumor was that he had killed Palpatine on board the ill-fated Deathstar Aircraft carrier in the 1980s … Vader himself conveniently died at the same time so no one ever got official confirmation of the story.

 

“Anakin was a Jedi Knight. He went against his vows-- marrying a beautiful young senator from Naboo named Padme Naberrie. He had a premonition of her death, and was lured to joining the Sith-- the enemies of the Jedi from time immemorial-- by Prime Minister Palpatine--”

 

“Wait a minute. You're saying that Palpatine--  _ the _ Palpatine-- was some kind of monster? A demon?”

 

“He was a man. A very evil man with powers you wouldn't believe unless you saw them.” Kylo closed his eyes for a moment. “Palpainte promised that he could save Padme-- he lied, and she died giving birth to my mother and uncle. Uncle Luke was sent to live with his aunt and uncle and the King of Alderaan adopted my mother. They grew up without knowing that Skywalker-- Vader-- was their father.”

 

“I'm sorry, Kylo--”

 

“Please. Let me finish. You know that Prime Minister Palpatine died, and that Vader died with him. My mother and uncle inherited his abilities … Luke went on to found a new Jedi Order while my mother and father married, becoming the rulers of the refounded country of New Alderaan.”

 

“I know that at least some of that is true, Kylo, but what does that have to do with me?”

 

“You know that about six years ago there was a civil war in New Alderaan?”

 

“I believe I remember seeing something about it on the news,” Rey admitted. “Some noble calling himself Supreme Leader Snoke tried to take over ...”

 

“Yes. Snoke was like Palpatine-- he had abilities that most people would call magic. And he was older than he seemed-- far older.” Kylo closed his eyes. “A Jedi Master can become one with the Force--”

 

“The Force?”

 

“It's the living energy that binds everything together. The Force is what gives a Jedi- and Sith-- his power. Jedi can become one with the Force and manifest themselves to other Force users after death. The Sith do not have this ability. They do things differently.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“They steal bodies like that Storm King you told me about. Snoke had lived for centuries, stealing one body after another. Force Users were his bodies of choice-- their powers being added to his own. He would spend years, decades, corrupting his chosen host … weakening their will until he could steal their bodies and live anew.”

 

A sick feeling began to grow in Rey's stomach. “You. He went after you.”

 

“Yes. I was the Crown Prince. I was strong in the Force. Snoke started grooming me when I was in the womb. My parents didn't understand what was happening, but they sent me to study at my uncle's academy. Snoke's hold on me was too strong by that point-- Luke almost killed me, thinking that was the only way to free me. I … gave in. I became Snoke's servant, his creature. I burned Luke's Academy to the ground, killing my fellow students.”

 

His hands were shaking. He couldn't look her in the eyes.

 

“Kylo--” She had killed before. She had killed so many men now that she had lost count.

 

“My father saved me. He gave his life to save me. Together, we killed Snoke … and I thought I was free. But I'm not.” Kylo tapped his forehead. “A fragment of him is still in my head. Whispering. He can't control me now, but he can drive me insane … or to kill myself. I only have one hope … the Kaiburr Crystal.”

 

“The Kaiburr Crystal. It's an artifact of the jungle country Mimban. Rumor has that it has miraculous healing abilities. People have spent fortunes trying to find it since the 19 th Century.” 

 

“Yes. I think I can find it. But I need someone to help me.”

 

“Me? You want me to help you? Kylo ...” Rey shook her head. “I can't believe I'M the one saying this, but this is a mad idea. I think you may need help, but you don't need some magical crystal ...”

 

Kylo sighed. “Rey, you examined the hilt, right?”

 

“Yes ...” Rey replied, not seeing where he was going with this.

 

“You didn't see any sign of a power supply, right? No concealed blade?”

 

“No. I didn't.”

 

“Come with me.” Kylo walked over to an alley and stepped into it. “You can stay outside of it if you like. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable.”

 

“Too late for that, your highness,” Rey whispered, but she did not attempt to leave.

 

Kylo took the hilt of his soulsaber. “Do you want to examine it again? To make sure you didn't miss anything?”

 

“I don't miss things.”

 

“All right.” Kylo clenched the hilt in one fist.

 

And a blade of fiery, sputtering red light lit up the alley.

 

“That's-- that's impossible,” Rey sputtered.

 

Kylo swiped at one of the brick walls. The blade flared, and when he drew back Rey could see the brick scored as though someone had taken an acetylene torch to it. “It's real.”

 

“How are you doing that?”

 

“The Force allows me to channel my life force through the hilt of my soulsaber. The blade is a reflection of me.” Kyle unclenched his hand and the blade went out. “The blade is what it is because of what Snoke did to me. If the Kaiburr Crystal heals me, the blade will heal as well.”

 

“What do you want from me, Kylo?”

 

“I'm not entirely sure,” Kylo admitted. “It's just … I saw the articles about you. I heard fragments of your story, and I thought … you went through something like I did. You were able to help your friend Finn. Maybe … maybe you can help me.” Kylo held the hilt up again. “I don't want to be Kylo Ren. I want to be Ben Solo again, but I can't be him-- I can't lead my people-- until I'm clean. Until I'm free of what Snoke did to me. 

 

“And I can't do it alone. I'll never make it to the Temple myself. Hux and Phasma will help me to the best of their ability, but I need someone else. The Force is telling me that the person I need is you. Join me? _ Please. _ ”

 

“Kylo-- you don't know what you're asking of me. The hell I went through on Yamatai. I can't go through that again. You have no idea what it did to me. It ruined my friendships. It destroyed my life. I'm so alone--”

 

“You're not alone.” Kylo reached out and touched her hand again. “I promise you, you're not alone. Even if you don't go with me-- even if you can't, I promise you're not alone.”

 

Rey stared at him for a moment. She reached out and took his hand. “Neither are you.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “All right. I'll go to Mimban with you. If I can help you, I will.”

 

“Thank you, Rey. Thank you.” Kylo smiled at her.

 

“Let's go back to my flat.” Rey smirked when she saw the stunned look in his eyes. “To pack, you idiot. And you can tell me everything you know about Mimban.”

 

“All right,” Kylo whispered. He seemed shocked that she had agreed to help him.

 

“Right then. Let's do this.” Rey pulled him out of the alley. “Come on, your highness. We've got a lot to do.”

 

Hand in hand, Rey pulled him out of the darkness.

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“You know this is a bad idea, right, Ren?” Armitage Hux asked as the two of them made their way through the crowded saloon to the bar. “From what I hear, this bird is an absolute beast, a madwoman.”

 

“We need her.” Chewbacca had told him that she had been frequenting this bar since Yamatai. His honorary uncle had not been willing to tell him everything that had happened, but he had heard enough to know that this Rey Croft was an extraordinary woman. “And don't call her 'bird' unless you want to have your nose broken-- and that's if you're lucky.”

 

Kylo only paid cursory attention to the media these days, but the story of Rey Croft and the crew of the _Endurance_ and the hellhole of an island named Yamatai had attracted to his interest. He had tasked his personal assistant Dopeheld Mitaka with finding out everything he could about the young woman. The general public believed the entire story to be a publicity stunt gone awry, but Kylo's own experiences told him that there was likely a grain of truth in the wild tales.

 

_She can help me …but_ _**will** _ _ she? _

 

Kylo fought down the fear that this was a fool's errand. His own family refused to help him-- even Chewie had only  _ reluctantly  _ told him the truth story of the  _ Endurance. _ What hope could he have that a stranger would be willing to listen?

 

_ You're nothing, boy, _ the voice of Snoke whispered in his ear.  _ You will never be free. You will never be clean. You will be my creature  _ _**forever.** _

 

_ No, _ Kylo thought to himself.  _ I won't be-- I'll die before I remain like this forever. _

 

_Then die, boy. You're dead to your family already …_

 

“Kylo.” Hux grabbed his shoulder. “ _ Ben.  _ Don't listen to the daft old codger. I know he's still rattling around in your head, but you beat him. You're better than him. Don't you ever forget that.”

 

“Thanks, Armitage.” He gripped the other man's shoulder in return. “I don't know where I'd be without you.”

 

“Drunk in a gutter, probably.” Hux rolled his eyes. “Enough of this sentimentality. If we're going to talk to this bir-- then we better go over there and bloody talk to her.”

 

Rey Croft sat at the bar, holding a drink. A young woman was standing next to her, talking earnestly but gently to her. “Rey … it's not that he doesn't care about you ...”

 

“Then why won't he see me?” Rey Croft turned from her drink and stared at the other woman.”All that we went through … all I did for him … and instead of having the  _ courage _ to face me himself he sends his bloody  _ girlfriend _ over to give me the 'it's not you it's me' speech. Finn Storm is my friend, Rose Tico. He's like a  _ brother _ to me … and now he won't even  _ see _ me.”

 

“Finn's … not well, Rey. Doctor Holdo says that he's not ready to see you yet. We all went through so much on Yamatai … the two of you most of all. I know he still cares about you. He wants to see you, but he just … can't. He needs time.”

 

“Tell him to take all the time he needs then,” Rey downed her glass with an efficiency Kylo's father would have envied. “He knows where to find me.”

 

“Rey … I'm worried about you too. You should get help. I know Dr. Holdo would like to talk to you ...”

 

“Tell Holdo to sod off, Rose. I'm tired of people calling me a liar-- or worse, a maniac-- to my face. Maybe Finn and you can pretend it didn't happen, but  _ I  _ can't. I still see it in my dreams-- everything that happened on that damn island ...everything I had to do to survive ...”

 

“Rey ...”

 

“Sod off, Rose. Go. Just … go.”

 

The other woman bit her lip. “If that's the way you want it--”

 

“That's the way I want it.”

 

“Goodbye, Rey.”

 

“'Bye, Rose. Give Finn my love.”

 

“I … will.” Rose walked away.

 

“I need another drink!” Rey shouted at the bartender.

 

The man shook his head.

 

“Give the lady what she asks for, and my friend and I will have more of the same.” Kylo laid a handful of bills on the table.

 

The bartender frowned, but poured the drinks and put them on the table.

 

Rey Croft turned and looked at him.

 

She had plainly been drinking to excess for quite some time. Her breath stank of whiskey, and her eyes were bloodshot. She wore her hair in some weird three bun style that only a drunkard would think presentable. Her lip was quivering and unshed tears glistened in those red eyes.

 

Kylo Ren felt his heart stop when he looked into those tragic eyes.

 

“Who the bloody kriff are you?”

 

“I'm Kylo Ren. This is my friend and associate Armitage Hux. We have a proposition for you.” Hux coughed and smothered a laugh.

 

“He means a business proposition, love,” Hux told her. “Our boy Kylo here doesn't know how to talk to a beautiful woman. He grew up on a monastery, you see...”

 

“Right.” Rey snorted and took a sip of her drink. “A business proposition.”

 

“Can we go somewhere to talk? Somewhere less public? Somewhere private?”

 

Hux rolled his eyes. “Oh, that doesn't sound creepy, Kylo.”

 

“Shut up, Hux.” Kylo turned hopeful eyes to Rey. “I'll make it worth your while.” Even  _ he  _ understood how that sounded. “I mean … I just want some of you time. It doesn't have to be that private. A restaurant would be fine.”

 

“A royal invitation,” Rey murmured. “How can I refuse?”

 

“Royal?” Kylo inquired, his pale face going even whiter.

 

“My roommate …  _ former  _ roommate Finn Storm has dreams of working in the media. He bought all the scandal rags and even the more  _ respectable  _ periodicals. I recognize the Crown Prince of New Alderaan when I see him.” Rey's eyes flickered towards Hux. “Who's this?”

 

“General Armitage Hux, late of the New Alderaan Army, Lady Rey.” Hux sketched a bow. “If we're going to use titles that is. My wife Phasma is Captain of the Royal Guard-- and I'm currently tasked with making sure the young Prince here stays out of trouble.”

 

“Don't call me, 'lady,'” Rey retorted. “The family fortune and grounds-- what's left of them-- are currently left in trust.”

 

“Then don't call me 'prince' or 'your highness,'” Kylo replied, a hint of anger in his voice.  _ I'm not worthy to be a prince any longer … at least not yet. _

 

“Well now that the niceties are out of the way, what do you want?” Rey took another sip of her drink.

 

“A few minutes of your time,” Kylo added quickly. “We have a mutual friend.” If Chewie still considered himself a friend … after what had happened to Kylo's father … what  _ Kylo _ had done to his father … “Chewbacca.”

 

“That big hairball? He really is  _ that _ Chewbacca? I thought he was lying.” Rey's lips twitched. “He must be even older than he looks.”

 

“He used to tell me he was over 200 years old,” Kylo admitted. “It wouldn't be the strangest thing I ever heard if that was true ...”

 

Rey gave him a measuring look. “Me either.”

 

“There's a club not too far from here. Takodona. The owner's a friend of Chewie's. Maz Kanata. Have you ever been there?” Kylo held his breath. This was the closest he'd come to asking a woman out in his entire life … and it wasn't even for a date.

 

“I know of it. Chewie used to talk about it all the time. Said when we got back he'd treat us all to the best dinner we ever had.” Rey finished her drink. “It didn't work out.”

 

“I understand. You'll come with us?”

 

“With you, you mean.” Hux finished his own drink, grimacing at the trust. “I'm afraid I'm going to have to turn in.”

 

“But, Hux--” Kylo fought down a sudden panic. Hux knew him. Hux knew his story. He could trust Hux to keep him from getting hurt-- or hurting someone else.”

 

“Ben.” Hux squeezed his hand. “You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. You'll be fine.” He nodded to Rey. “And I'm sure this one can take care of both herself and you if the occasion calls for it.” He lowered his voice to a whisper that Rey couldn't hear. “She'll listen, Ben. I can tell. You were right. She's just what  _ you _ need.”

 

“What we need,” Kylo corrected automatically.

 

“Right. We.” Hux smirked and turned back to Rey. “He can be a bit of an arsehole at times, but Kylo's a good bloke. Bring him back to me in one piece.” There was a hint of a threat in his voice.

 

“I don't have the best track record for that,” Rey admitted easily, “but I'll do my best.”

 

“That'll have to do. I'll see you back at the hotel, Kylo.” Hux nodded to them both and then walked off.

 

“An interesting man,” Rey allowed.

 

“He's my best friend.” A soft smile broke across Kylo's lips. “With the possible exception of his wife, he's my  _ only _ friend.”

 

“I know what that's like. Shall we go?”

 

“Keep the change,” Kylo told the bartender as they got up.

 

“You made his night, you know.”

 

“Because of the tip?”

 

“Well, that and seeing me walk out of the bar with a man. Most of the time when a bloke approaches me he walks away empty handed-- sometimes  _ broken handed _ – if he's too persistent.” She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “I can take care of myself. Just in case you were wondering.”

 

“I know,” Kylo admitted. That was one of the reasons he had looked her up.

 

They were silent as they made their way to Maz's diner. They were a curious pair. A young earl's daughter dressed like a thrift shop refugee and the dark clad son of a queen who looked more like a university professor than a prince.

 

Maz was tiny, and so old that she looked almost young. “Ah, young Solo … and do my eyes deceive me or is this the legendary Rey Croft that my boyfriend has told me so much about?”

 

Rey blushed. “You and Chewie--?”

 

“Oh we've been an off and on thing for decades, dearie,” Maz smirked at her. She glanced over at Kylo and laid a hand on his. “Oh, Ben. I was so sorry to hear about Han ...”

 

“Me too,” Kylo looked away. He didn't want her to see the truth in his eyes.

 

“I'll give you two the best booth in the house. It's enclosed, but you can see out of the glass-- it's absolutely soundproof if you two want to whisper sweet nothings to each other.”

 

Kylo blushed. “It's a business meeting, Maz.”

 

“Of course it is.” Maz looks at Rey. “I think you could do with some tea, my girl. Ben?”

 

“Tea will be fine for me too. Are you hungry?” He asked Rey.

 

The young woman smiled. “I'm  _ always _ hungry.”

 

“Fine. Menus. And an appetizer if you have something ready.”

 

“Of course, Ben. Of course.” The tiny Maz led through the crowded diner and to a raised booth that had a perfect view of the stage.

 

When they sat down and had their tea delivered along with something to tide them over until their real meal was ready, Rey looked again at him. “What do you want … Ben Solo or Kylo Ren or whatever you call yourself?”

 

“I want to hear your story.”

 

“You can read the papers for that.” Rey shrugged.

 

“I want to hear the real story.”

 

“No you don't.”

 

“Yes. Yes I do.”

 

“You won't believe it.”

 

“You'd be surprised at what I'd believe, Ms. Croft.”

 

“Rey. Call me Rey.”

 

“All right, Rey.  _ Please.  _ Tell me the true story. I promise you I have reasons other than idle curiosity.”

 

So she did.

 

She told him how her mentor and guardian Unkar Plutt had assembled a crew and obtained a ship-- partially funded with the Croft Estate, partially by an advancement on a proposed reality series based on their expedition-- and went looking for the island of Yamatai, home to the legendary Storm King who had supposedly ruled for centuries. She told him about the storm that had wrecked their ship, the  _ Endurance,  _ and being stranded on Yamatai … a veritable asylum that housed countless other castaways and the descendants of castaways who had lived on Yamatai for thousands of years. She told him about her efforts to survive when she had been cut off from the others, their efforts to get off the island …

 

And then she told him the unbelievable part.

 

She told him how the Storm King still existed … trapped in the rotting corpse of a young man who had committed suicide rather than become the latest vessel of the insatiably evil spirit of the Storm King. She told him how they discovered that her best friend Finn Storm was a descendant of the Storm King … and how the madwoman Bazine Netal had tried to bargain for the freedom to leave the island by offering the Storm King Finn's body. She told him of her desperate fight to save her friend's body and soul … her improbable victory and the sad aftermath where their story was written of f as a lie, a publicity stunt, to recoup the money that had been lost with Plutt's death.

 

“Madwoman” was charitably the most polite description Rey heard of herself these days.

 

Somehow, even during the wildest parts of her story, Kylo Ren listened to her. She looked for shock, incredulity … concern … any of the countless looks she had seen in the eyes of the other people she had told this story to.

 

She didn't find it.

 

“Don't say anything,” Rey told; him when she finished. “Don't say anything until after we eat, okay? I just want ...”

 

_ I just want to pretend to be normal …. _

 

When dinner was over, they went for a walk in the crisp autumn air. It was then that Kylo spoke. “I believe you.”

 

Rey barked out a laugh. “Oh of course you do.”

 

“Rey--”

 

“Do you know how many times I've heard people tell me they believe me after I tell them my story? Do you know how many men-- and women-- have thought that if they told me they believed me I'd fall into bed with them out of gratitude? If you're trying to get somewhere with me, Kylo, you'll have to do better than that.”

 

“I'm not trying to get somewhere with you, Rey.” His face went red with embarrassment. “Have you ever heard of the Jedi Order?”

 

“The Jedi Order? That's a myth, surely.” Rey looked at him with honest interest. “They were supposedly a mystical order of some kind … a secular version of the Knights Templar, maybe. They were supposed to have magical powers ...”

 

“It wasn't magic. And the Jedi were real.”

 

“Oh, I know my father had records that indicated that  _ something _ called the Jedi Order lasted until the late 50s … supposedly wiped out during Prime Minister Palpatine's tenure … but surely that was just some rich boy recreation of the original order ...”

 

“No. The Jedi Order lasted for hundreds of years … until they were destroyed by one of their own.” He reached into his coat pocket and handed her something. “Do you know what this is?”

 

“It looks like some sort of hilt,” Rey examined it intently. “But … wait. This isn't a sword hilt. There's no sign it was designed to be part of a sword. It looks like a complete piece in of itself.” She cast a skeptical eye at him. “You're not telling me this is the fabled weapon of the Jedi … a soulsaber?”

 

“I'm not telling you that.” Kylo took the hilt back from her, his fingers seeming incredibly warm against her own. “You already figured it out.”

 

“It can't be a Jedi artifact. It's too new. It's too new to even be from the 1950s. Where did you get it?”

 

“I made it when I was younger.”

 

Oh that explained it. Some boyish prince dreaming of being the next King Arthur … “For a moment I was ready to believe the Jedi still existed.”

 

“They did … until about six years ago.”

 

“What?”

 

“You told me an impossible story. Will you listen to mine?”

 

In spite of herself, Rey nodded.

 

“My grandfather was Anakin Skywalker. You probably heard of him by his other name-- Darth Vader.”

 

Rey blanched. Darth Vader was a boogeyman … Prime Minister Palpatine's right hand man, a dark, scarred figure in black who went hooded and masked wherever he went. Rumor was that he had killed Palpatine on board the ill-fated Deathstar Aircraft carrier in the 1980s … Vader himself conveniently died at the same time so no one ever got official confirmation of the story.

 

“Anakin was a Jedi Knight. He went against his vows-- marrying a beautiful young senator from Naboo named Padme Naberrie. He had a premonition of her death, and was lured to joining the Sith-- the enemies of the Jedi from time immemorial-- by Prime Minister Palpatine--”

 

“Wait a minute. You're saying that Palpatine--  _ the _ Palpatine-- was some kind of monster? A demon?”

 

“He was a man. A very evil man with powers you wouldn't believe unless you saw them.” Kylo closed his eyes for a moment. “Palpainte promised that he could save Padme-- he lied, and she died giving birth to my mother and uncle. Uncle Luke was sent to live with his aunt and uncle and the King of Alderaan adopted my mother. They grew up without knowing that Skywalker-- Vader-- was their father.”

 

“I'm sorry, Kylo--”

 

“Please. Let me finish. You know that Prime Minister Palpatine died, and that Vader died with him. My mother and uncle inherited his abilities … Luke went on to found a new Jedi Order while my mother and father married, becoming the rulers of the refounded country of New Alderaan.”

 

“I know that at least some of that is true, Kylo, but what does that have to do with me?”

 

“You know that about six years ago there was a civil war in New Alderaan?”

 

“I believe I remember seeing something about it on the news,” Rey admitted. “Some noble calling himself Supreme Leader Snoke tried to take over ...”

 

“Yes. Snoke was like Palpatine-- he had abilities that most people would call magic. And he was older than he seemed-- far older.” Kylo closed his eyes. “A Jedi Master can become one with the Force--”

 

“The Force?”

 

“It's the living energy that binds everything together. The Force is what gives a Jedi- and Sith-- his power. Jedi can become one with the Force and manifest themselves to other Force users after death. The Sith do not have this ability. They do things differently.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“They steal bodies like that Storm King you told me about. Snoke had lived for centuries, stealing one body after another. Force Users were his bodies of choice-- their powers being added to his own. He would spend years, decades, corrupting his chosen host … weakening their will until he could steal their bodies and live anew.”

 

A sick feeling began to grow in Rey's stomach. “You. He went after you.”

 

“Yes. I was the Crown Prince. I was strong in the Force. Snoke started grooming me when I was in the womb. My parents didn't understand what was happening, but they sent me to study at my uncle's academy. Snoke's hold on me was too strong by that point-- Luke almost killed me, thinking that was the only way to free me. I … gave in. I became Snoke's servant, his creature. I burned Luke's Academy to the ground, killing my fellow students.”

 

His hands were shaking. He couldn't look her in the eyes.

 

“Kylo--” She had killed before. She had killed so many men now that she had lost count.

 

“My father saved me. He gave his life to save me. Together, we killed Snoke … and I thought I was free. But I'm not.” Kylo tapped his forehead. “A fragment of him is still in my head. Whispering. He can't control me now, but he can drive me insane … or to kill myself. I only have one hope … the Kaiburr Crystal.”

 

“The Kaiburr Crystal. It's an artifact of the jungle country Mimban. Rumor has that it has miraculous healing abilities. People have spent fortunes trying to find it since the 19 th Century.” 

 

“Yes. I think I can find it. But I need someone to help me.”

 

“Me? You want me to help you? Kylo ...” Rey shook her head. “I can't believe I'M the one saying this, but this is a mad idea. I think you may need help, but you don't need some magical crystal ...”

 

Kylo sighed. “Rey, you examined the hilt, right?”

 

“Yes ...” Rey replied, not seeing where he was going with this.

 

“You didn't see any sign of a power supply, right? No concealed blade?”

 

“No. I didn't.”

 

“Come with me.” Kylo walked over to an alley and stepped into it. “You can stay outside of it if you like. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable.”

 

“Too late for that, your highness,” Rey whispered, but she did not attempt to leave.

 

Kylo took the hilt of his soulsaber. “Do you want to examine it again? To make sure you didn't miss anything?”

 

“I don't miss things.”

 

“All right.” Kylo clenched the hilt in one fist.

 

And a blade of fiery, sputtering red light lit up the alley.

 

“That's-- that's impossible,” Rey sputtered.

 

Kylo swiped at one of the brick walls. The blade flared, and when he drew back Rey could see the brick scored as though someone had taken an acetylene torch to it. “It's real.”

 

“How are you doing that?”

 

“The Force allows me to channel my life force through the hilt of my soulsaber. The blade is a reflection of me.” Kyle unclenched his hand and the blade went out. “The blade is what it is because of what Snoke did to me. If the Kaiburr Crystal heals me, the blade will heal as well.”

 

“What do you want from me, Kylo?”

 

“I'm not entirely sure,” Kylo admitted. “It's just … I saw the articles about you. I heard fragments of your story, and I thought … you went through something like I did. You were able to help your friend Finn. Maybe … maybe you can help me.” Kylo held the hilt up again. “I don't want to be Kylo Ren. I want to be Ben Solo again, but I can't be him-- I can't lead my people-- until I'm clean. Until I'm free of what Snoke did to me. 

 

“And I can't do it alone. I'll never make it to the Temple myself. Hux and Phasma will help me to the best of their ability, but I need someone else. The Force is telling me that the person I need is you. Join me? _ Please. _ ”

 

“Kylo-- you don't know what you're asking of me. The hell I went through on Yamatai. I can't go through that again. You have no idea what it did to me. It ruined my friendships. It destroyed my life. I'm so alone--”

 

“You're not alone.” Kylo reached out and touched her hand again. “I promise you, you're not alone. Even if you don't go with me-- even if you can't, I promise you're not alone.”

 

Rey stared at him for a moment. She reached out and took his hand. “Neither are you.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “All right. I'll go to Mimban with you. If I can help you, I will.”

 

“Thank you, Rey. Thank you.” Kylo smiled at her.

 

“Let's go back to my flat.” Rey smirked when she saw the stunned look in his eyes. “To pack, you idiot. And you can tell me everything you know about Mimban.”

 

“All right,” Kylo whispered. He seemed shocked that she had agreed to help him.

 

“Right then. Let's do this.” Rey pulled him out of the alley. “Come on, your highness. We've got a lot to do.”

 

Hand in hand, Rey pulled him out of the darkness.

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“You know this is a bad idea, right, Ren?” Armitage Hux asked as the two of them made their way through the crowded saloon to the bar. “From what I hear, this bird is an absolute beast, a madwoman.”

 

“We need her.” Chewbacca had told him that she had been frequenting this bar since Yamatai. His honorary uncle had not been willing to tell him everything that had happened, but he had heard enough to know that this Rey Croft was an extraordinary woman. “And don't call her 'bird' unless you want to have your nose broken-- and that's if you're lucky.”

 

Kylo only paid cursory attention to the media these days, but the story of Rey Croft and the crew of the _Endurance_ and the hellhole of an island named Yamatai had attracted to his interest. He had tasked his personal assistant Dopeheld Mitaka with finding out everything he could about the young woman. The general public believed the entire story to be a publicity stunt gone awry, but Kylo's own experiences told him that there was likely a grain of truth in the wild tales.

 

_She can help me …but_ _**will** _ _ she? _

 

Kylo fought down the fear that this was a fool's errand. His own family refused to help him-- even Chewie had only  _ reluctantly  _ told him the truth story of the  _ Endurance. _ What hope could he have that a stranger would be willing to listen?

 

_ You're nothing, boy, _ the voice of Snoke whispered in his ear.  _ You will never be free. You will never be clean. You will be my creature  _ _**forever.** _

 

_ No, _ Kylo thought to himself.  _ I won't be-- I'll die before I remain like this forever. _

 

_Then die, boy. You're dead to your family already …_

 

“Kylo.” Hux grabbed his shoulder. “ _ Ben.  _ Don't listen to the daft old codger. I know he's still rattling around in your head, but you beat him. You're better than him. Don't you ever forget that.”

 

“Thanks, Armitage.” He gripped the other man's shoulder in return. “I don't know where I'd be without you.”

 

“Drunk in a gutter, probably.” Hux rolled his eyes. “Enough of this sentimentality. If we're going to talk to this bir-- then we better go over there and bloody talk to her.”

 

Rey Croft sat at the bar, holding a drink. A young woman was standing next to her, talking earnestly but gently to her. “Rey … it's not that he doesn't care about you ...”

 

“Then why won't he see me?” Rey Croft turned from her drink and stared at the other woman.”All that we went through … all I did for him … and instead of having the  _ courage _ to face me himself he sends his bloody  _ girlfriend _ over to give me the 'it's not you it's me' speech. Finn Storm is my friend, Rose Tico. He's like a  _ brother _ to me … and now he won't even  _ see _ me.”

 

“Finn's … not well, Rey. Doctor Holdo says that he's not ready to see you yet. We all went through so much on Yamatai … the two of you most of all. I know he still cares about you. He wants to see you, but he just … can't. He needs time.”

 

“Tell him to take all the time he needs then,” Rey downed her glass with an efficiency Kylo's father would have envied. “He knows where to find me.”

 

“Rey … I'm worried about you too. You should get help. I know Dr. Holdo would like to talk to you ...”

 

“Tell Holdo to sod off, Rose. I'm tired of people calling me a liar-- or worse, a maniac-- to my face. Maybe Finn and you can pretend it didn't happen, but  _ I  _ can't. I still see it in my dreams-- everything that happened on that damn island ...everything I had to do to survive ...”

 

“Rey ...”

 

“Sod off, Rose. Go. Just … go.”

 

The other woman bit her lip. “If that's the way you want it--”

 

“That's the way I want it.”

 

“Goodbye, Rey.”

 

“'Bye, Rose. Give Finn my love.”

 

“I … will.” Rose walked away.

 

“I need another drink!” Rey shouted at the bartender.

 

The man shook his head.

 

“Give the lady what she asks for, and my friend and I will have more of the same.” Kylo laid a handful of bills on the table.

 

The bartender frowned, but poured the drinks and put them on the table.

 

Rey Croft turned and looked at him.

 

She had plainly been drinking to excess for quite some time. Her breath stank of whiskey, and her eyes were bloodshot. She wore her hair in some weird three bun style that only a drunkard would think presentable. Her lip was quivering and unshed tears glistened in those red eyes.

 

Kylo Ren felt his heart stop when he looked into those tragic eyes.

 

“Who the bloody kriff are you?”

 

“I'm Kylo Ren. This is my friend and associate Armitage Hux. We have a proposition for you.” Hux coughed and smothered a laugh.

 

“He means a business proposition, love,” Hux told her. “Our boy Kylo here doesn't know how to talk to a beautiful woman. He grew up on a monastery, you see...”

 

“Right.” Rey snorted and took a sip of her drink. “A business proposition.”

 

“Can we go somewhere to talk? Somewhere less public? Somewhere private?”

 

Hux rolled his eyes. “Oh, that doesn't sound creepy, Kylo.”

 

“Shut up, Hux.” Kylo turned hopeful eyes to Rey. “I'll make it worth your while.” Even  _ he  _ understood how that sounded. “I mean … I just want some of you time. It doesn't have to be that private. A restaurant would be fine.”

 

“A royal invitation,” Rey murmured. “How can I refuse?”

 

“Royal?” Kylo inquired, his pale face going even whiter.

 

“My roommate …  _ former  _ roommate Finn Storm has dreams of working in the media. He bought all the scandal rags and even the more  _ respectable  _ periodicals. I recognize the Crown Prince of New Alderaan when I see him.” Rey's eyes flickered towards Hux. “Who's this?”

 

“General Armitage Hux, late of the New Alderaan Army, Lady Rey.” Hux sketched a bow. “If we're going to use titles that is. My wife Phasma is Captain of the Royal Guard-- and I'm currently tasked with making sure the young Prince here stays out of trouble.”

 

“Don't call me, 'lady,'” Rey retorted. “The family fortune and grounds-- what's left of them-- are currently left in trust.”

 

“Then don't call me 'prince' or 'your highness,'” Kylo replied, a hint of anger in his voice.  _ I'm not worthy to be a prince any longer … at least not yet. _

 

“Well now that the niceties are out of the way, what do you want?” Rey took another sip of her drink.

 

“A few minutes of your time,” Kylo added quickly. “We have a mutual friend.” If Chewie still considered himself a friend … after what had happened to Kylo's father … what  _ Kylo _ had done to his father … “Chewbacca.”

 

“That big hairball? He really is  _ that _ Chewbacca? I thought he was lying.” Rey's lips twitched. “He must be even older than he looks.”

 

“He used to tell me he was over 200 years old,” Kylo admitted. “It wouldn't be the strangest thing I ever heard if that was true ...”

 

Rey gave him a measuring look. “Me either.”

 

“There's a club not too far from here. Takodona. The owner's a friend of Chewie's. Maz Kanata. Have you ever been there?” Kylo held his breath. This was the closest he'd come to asking a woman out in his entire life … and it wasn't even for a date.

 

“I know of it. Chewie used to talk about it all the time. Said when we got back he'd treat us all to the best dinner we ever had.” Rey finished her drink. “It didn't work out.”

 

“I understand. You'll come with us?”

 

“With you, you mean.” Hux finished his own drink, grimacing at the trust. “I'm afraid I'm going to have to turn in.”

 

“But, Hux--” Kylo fought down a sudden panic. Hux knew him. Hux knew his story. He could trust Hux to keep him from getting hurt-- or hurting someone else.”

 

“Ben.” Hux squeezed his hand. “You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. You'll be fine.” He nodded to Rey. “And I'm sure this one can take care of both herself and you if the occasion calls for it.” He lowered his voice to a whisper that Rey couldn't hear. “She'll listen, Ben. I can tell. You were right. She's just what  _ you _ need.”

 

“What we need,” Kylo corrected automatically.

 

“Right. We.” Hux smirked and turned back to Rey. “He can be a bit of an arsehole at times, but Kylo's a good bloke. Bring him back to me in one piece.” There was a hint of a threat in his voice.

 

“I don't have the best track record for that,” Rey admitted easily, “but I'll do my best.”

 

“That'll have to do. I'll see you back at the hotel, Kylo.” Hux nodded to them both and then walked off.

 

“An interesting man,” Rey allowed.

 

“He's my best friend.” A soft smile broke across Kylo's lips. “With the possible exception of his wife, he's my  _ only _ friend.”

 

“I know what that's like. Shall we go?”

 

“Keep the change,” Kylo told the bartender as they got up.

 

“You made his night, you know.”

 

“Because of the tip?”

 

“Well, that and seeing me walk out of the bar with a man. Most of the time when a bloke approaches me he walks away empty handed-- sometimes  _ broken handed _ – if he's too persistent.” She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “I can take care of myself. Just in case you were wondering.”

 

“I know,” Kylo admitted. That was one of the reasons he had looked her up.

 

They were silent as they made their way to Maz's diner. They were a curious pair. A young earl's daughter dressed like a thrift shop refugee and the dark clad son of a queen who looked more like a university professor than a prince.

 

Maz was tiny, and so old that she looked almost young. “Ah, young Solo … and do my eyes deceive me or is this the legendary Rey Croft that my boyfriend has told me so much about?”

 

Rey blushed. “You and Chewie--?”

 

“Oh we've been an off and on thing for decades, dearie,” Maz smirked at her. She glanced over at Kylo and laid a hand on his. “Oh, Ben. I was so sorry to hear about Han ...”

 

“Me too,” Kylo looked away. He didn't want her to see the truth in his eyes.

 

“I'll give you two the best booth in the house. It's enclosed, but you can see out of the glass-- it's absolutely soundproof if you two want to whisper sweet nothings to each other.”

 

Kylo blushed. “It's a business meeting, Maz.”

 

“Of course it is.” Maz looks at Rey. “I think you could do with some tea, my girl. Ben?”

 

“Tea will be fine for me too. Are you hungry?” He asked Rey.

 

The young woman smiled. “I'm  _ always _ hungry.”

 

“Fine. Menus. And an appetizer if you have something ready.”

 

“Of course, Ben. Of course.” The tiny Maz led through the crowded diner and to a raised booth that had a perfect view of the stage.

 

When they sat down and had their tea delivered along with something to tide them over until their real meal was ready, Rey looked again at him. “What do you want … Ben Solo or Kylo Ren or whatever you call yourself?”

 

“I want to hear your story.”

 

“You can read the papers for that.” Rey shrugged.

 

“I want to hear the real story.”

 

“No you don't.”

 

“Yes. Yes I do.”

 

“You won't believe it.”

 

“You'd be surprised at what I'd believe, Ms. Croft.”

 

“Rey. Call me Rey.”

 

“All right, Rey.  _ Please.  _ Tell me the true story. I promise you I have reasons other than idle curiosity.”

 

So she did.

 

She told him how her mentor and guardian Unkar Plutt had assembled a crew and obtained a ship-- partially funded with the Croft Estate, partially by an advancement on a proposed reality series based on their expedition-- and went looking for the island of Yamatai, home to the legendary Storm King who had supposedly ruled for centuries. She told him about the storm that had wrecked their ship, the  _ Endurance,  _ and being stranded on Yamatai … a veritable asylum that housed countless other castaways and the descendants of castaways who had lived on Yamatai for thousands of years. She told him about her efforts to survive when she had been cut off from the others, their efforts to get off the island …

 

And then she told him the unbelievable part.

 

She told him how the Storm King still existed … trapped in the rotting corpse of a young man who had committed suicide rather than become the latest vessel of the insatiably evil spirit of the Storm King. She told him how they discovered that her best friend Finn Storm was a descendant of the Storm King … and how the madwoman Bazine Netal had tried to bargain for the freedom to leave the island by offering the Storm King Finn's body. She told him of her desperate fight to save her friend's body and soul … her improbable victory and the sad aftermath where their story was written of f as a lie, a publicity stunt, to recoup the money that had been lost with Plutt's death.

 

“Madwoman” was charitably the most polite description Rey heard of herself these days.

 

Somehow, even during the wildest parts of her story, Kylo Ren listened to her. She looked for shock, incredulity … concern … any of the countless looks she had seen in the eyes of the other people she had told this story to.

 

She didn't find it.

 

“Don't say anything,” Rey told; him when she finished. “Don't say anything until after we eat, okay? I just want ...”

 

_ I just want to pretend to be normal …. _

 

When dinner was over, they went for a walk in the crisp autumn air. It was then that Kylo spoke. “I believe you.”

 

Rey barked out a laugh. “Oh of course you do.”

 

“Rey--”

 

“Do you know how many times I've heard people tell me they believe me after I tell them my story? Do you know how many men-- and women-- have thought that if they told me they believed me I'd fall into bed with them out of gratitude? If you're trying to get somewhere with me, Kylo, you'll have to do better than that.”

 

“I'm not trying to get somewhere with you, Rey.” His face went red with embarrassment. “Have you ever heard of the Jedi Order?”

 

“The Jedi Order? That's a myth, surely.” Rey looked at him with honest interest. “They were supposedly a mystical order of some kind … a secular version of the Knights Templar, maybe. They were supposed to have magical powers ...”

 

“It wasn't magic. And the Jedi were real.”

 

“Oh, I know my father had records that indicated that  _ something _ called the Jedi Order lasted until the late 50s … supposedly wiped out during Prime Minister Palpatine's tenure … but surely that was just some rich boy recreation of the original order ...”

 

“No. The Jedi Order lasted for hundreds of years … until they were destroyed by one of their own.” He reached into his coat pocket and handed her something. “Do you know what this is?”

 

“It looks like some sort of hilt,” Rey examined it intently. “But … wait. This isn't a sword hilt. There's no sign it was designed to be part of a sword. It looks like a complete piece in of itself.” She cast a skeptical eye at him. “You're not telling me this is the fabled weapon of the Jedi … a soulsaber?”

 

“I'm not telling you that.” Kylo took the hilt back from her, his fingers seeming incredibly warm against her own. “You already figured it out.”

 

“It can't be a Jedi artifact. It's too new. It's too new to even be from the 1950s. Where did you get it?”

 

“I made it when I was younger.”

 

Oh that explained it. Some boyish prince dreaming of being the next King Arthur … “For a moment I was ready to believe the Jedi still existed.”

 

“They did … until about six years ago.”

 

“What?”

 

“You told me an impossible story. Will you listen to mine?”

 

In spite of herself, Rey nodded.

 

“My grandfather was Anakin Skywalker. You probably heard of him by his other name-- Darth Vader.”

 

Rey blanched. Darth Vader was a boogeyman … Prime Minister Palpatine's right hand man, a dark, scarred figure in black who went hooded and masked wherever he went. Rumor was that he had killed Palpatine on board the ill-fated Deathstar Aircraft carrier in the 1980s … Vader himself conveniently died at the same time so no one ever got official confirmation of the story.

 

“Anakin was a Jedi Knight. He went against his vows-- marrying a beautiful young senator from Naboo named Padme Naberrie. He had a premonition of her death, and was lured to joining the Sith-- the enemies of the Jedi from time immemorial-- by Prime Minister Palpatine--”

 

“Wait a minute. You're saying that Palpatine--  _ the _ Palpatine-- was some kind of monster? A demon?”

 

“He was a man. A very evil man with powers you wouldn't believe unless you saw them.” Kylo closed his eyes for a moment. “Palpainte promised that he could save Padme-- he lied, and she died giving birth to my mother and uncle. Uncle Luke was sent to live with his aunt and uncle and the King of Alderaan adopted my mother. They grew up without knowing that Skywalker-- Vader-- was their father.”

 

“I'm sorry, Kylo--”

 

“Please. Let me finish. You know that Prime Minister Palpatine died, and that Vader died with him. My mother and uncle inherited his abilities … Luke went on to found a new Jedi Order while my mother and father married, becoming the rulers of the refounded country of New Alderaan.”

 

“I know that at least some of that is true, Kylo, but what does that have to do with me?”

 

“You know that about six years ago there was a civil war in New Alderaan?”

 

“I believe I remember seeing something about it on the news,” Rey admitted. “Some noble calling himself Supreme Leader Snoke tried to take over ...”

 

“Yes. Snoke was like Palpatine-- he had abilities that most people would call magic. And he was older than he seemed-- far older.” Kylo closed his eyes. “A Jedi Master can become one with the Force--”

 

“The Force?”

 

“It's the living energy that binds everything together. The Force is what gives a Jedi- and Sith-- his power. Jedi can become one with the Force and manifest themselves to other Force users after death. The Sith do not have this ability. They do things differently.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“They steal bodies like that Storm King you told me about. Snoke had lived for centuries, stealing one body after another. Force Users were his bodies of choice-- their powers being added to his own. He would spend years, decades, corrupting his chosen host … weakening their will until he could steal their bodies and live anew.”

 

A sick feeling began to grow in Rey's stomach. “You. He went after you.”

 

“Yes. I was the Crown Prince. I was strong in the Force. Snoke started grooming me when I was in the womb. My parents didn't understand what was happening, but they sent me to study at my uncle's academy. Snoke's hold on me was too strong by that point-- Luke almost killed me, thinking that was the only way to free me. I … gave in. I became Snoke's servant, his creature. I burned Luke's Academy to the ground, killing my fellow students.”

 

His hands were shaking. He couldn't look her in the eyes.

 

“Kylo--” She had killed before. She had killed so many men now that she had lost count.

 

“My father saved me. He gave his life to save me. Together, we killed Snoke … and I thought I was free. But I'm not.” Kylo tapped his forehead. “A fragment of him is still in my head. Whispering. He can't control me now, but he can drive me insane … or to kill myself. I only have one hope … the Kaiburr Crystal.”

 

“The Kaiburr Crystal. It's an artifact of the jungle country Mimban. Rumor has that it has miraculous healing abilities. People have spent fortunes trying to find it since the 19 th Century.” 

 

“Yes. I think I can find it. But I need someone to help me.”

 

“Me? You want me to help you? Kylo ...” Rey shook her head. “I can't believe I'M the one saying this, but this is a mad idea. I think you may need help, but you don't need some magical crystal ...”

 

Kylo sighed. “Rey, you examined the hilt, right?”

 

“Yes ...” Rey replied, not seeing where he was going with this.

 

“You didn't see any sign of a power supply, right? No concealed blade?”

 

“No. I didn't.”

 

“Come with me.” Kylo walked over to an alley and stepped into it. “You can stay outside of it if you like. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable.”

 

“Too late for that, your highness,” Rey whispered, but she did not attempt to leave.

 

Kylo took the hilt of his soulsaber. “Do you want to examine it again? To make sure you didn't miss anything?”

 

“I don't miss things.”

 

“All right.” Kylo clenched the hilt in one fist.

 

And a blade of fiery, sputtering red light lit up the alley.

 

“That's-- that's impossible,” Rey sputtered.

 

Kylo swiped at one of the brick walls. The blade flared, and when he drew back Rey could see the brick scored as though someone had taken an acetylene torch to it. “It's real.”

 

“How are you doing that?”

 

“The Force allows me to channel my life force through the hilt of my soulsaber. The blade is a reflection of me.” Kyle unclenched his hand and the blade went out. “The blade is what it is because of what Snoke did to me. If the Kaiburr Crystal heals me, the blade will heal as well.”

 

“What do you want from me, Kylo?”

 

“I'm not entirely sure,” Kylo admitted. “It's just … I saw the articles about you. I heard fragments of your story, and I thought … you went through something like I did. You were able to help your friend Finn. Maybe … maybe you can help me.” Kylo held the hilt up again. “I don't want to be Kylo Ren. I want to be Ben Solo again, but I can't be him-- I can't lead my people-- until I'm clean. Until I'm free of what Snoke did to me. 

 

“And I can't do it alone. I'll never make it to the Temple myself. Hux and Phasma will help me to the best of their ability, but I need someone else. The Force is telling me that the person I need is you. Join me? _ Please. _ ”

 

“Kylo-- you don't know what you're asking of me. The hell I went through on Yamatai. I can't go through that again. You have no idea what it did to me. It ruined my friendships. It destroyed my life. I'm so alone--”

 

“You're not alone.” Kylo reached out and touched her hand again. “I promise you, you're not alone. Even if you don't go with me-- even if you can't, I promise you're not alone.”

 

Rey stared at him for a moment. She reached out and took his hand. “Neither are you.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “All right. I'll go to Mimban with you. If I can help you, I will.”

 

“Thank you, Rey. Thank you.” Kylo smiled at her.

 

“Let's go back to my flat.” Rey smirked when she saw the stunned look in his eyes. “To pack, you idiot. And you can tell me everything you know about Mimban.”

 

“All right,” Kylo whispered. He seemed shocked that she had agreed to help him.

 

“Right then. Let's do this.” Rey pulled him out of the alley. “Come on, your highness. We've got a lot to do.”

 

Hand in hand, Rey pulled him out of the darkness.

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“You know this is a bad idea, right, Ren?” Armitage Hux asked as the two of them made their way through the crowded saloon to the bar. “From what I hear, this bird is an absolute beast, a madwoman.”

 

“We need her.” Chewbacca had told him that she had been frequenting this bar since Yamatai. His honorary uncle had not been willing to tell him everything that had happened, but he had heard enough to know that this Rey Croft was an extraordinary woman. “And don't call her 'bird' unless you want to have your nose broken-- and that's if you're lucky.”

 

Kylo only paid cursory attention to the media these days, but the story of Rey Croft and the crew of the _Endurance_ and the hellhole of an island named Yamatai had attracted to his interest. He had tasked his personal assistant Dopeheld Mitaka with finding out everything he could about the young woman. The general public believed the entire story to be a publicity stunt gone awry, but Kylo's own experiences told him that there was likely a grain of truth in the wild tales.

 

_She can help me …but_ _**will** _ _ she? _

 

Kylo fought down the fear that this was a fool's errand. His own family refused to help him-- even Chewie had only  _ reluctantly  _ told him the truth story of the  _ Endurance. _ What hope could he have that a stranger would be willing to listen?

 

_ You're nothing, boy, _ the voice of Snoke whispered in his ear.  _ You will never be free. You will never be clean. You will be my creature  _ _**forever.** _

 

_ No, _ Kylo thought to himself.  _ I won't be-- I'll die before I remain like this forever. _

 

_Then die, boy. You're dead to your family already …_

 

“Kylo.” Hux grabbed his shoulder. “ _ Ben.  _ Don't listen to the daft old codger. I know he's still rattling around in your head, but you beat him. You're better than him. Don't you ever forget that.”

 

“Thanks, Armitage.” He gripped the other man's shoulder in return. “I don't know where I'd be without you.”

 

“Drunk in a gutter, probably.” Hux rolled his eyes. “Enough of this sentimentality. If we're going to talk to this bir-- then we better go over there and bloody talk to her.”

 

Rey Croft sat at the bar, holding a drink. A young woman was standing next to her, talking earnestly but gently to her. “Rey … it's not that he doesn't care about you ...”

 

“Then why won't he see me?” Rey Croft turned from her drink and stared at the other woman.”All that we went through … all I did for him … and instead of having the  _ courage _ to face me himself he sends his bloody  _ girlfriend _ over to give me the 'it's not you it's me' speech. Finn Storm is my friend, Rose Tico. He's like a  _ brother _ to me … and now he won't even  _ see _ me.”

 

“Finn's … not well, Rey. Doctor Holdo says that he's not ready to see you yet. We all went through so much on Yamatai … the two of you most of all. I know he still cares about you. He wants to see you, but he just … can't. He needs time.”

 

“Tell him to take all the time he needs then,” Rey downed her glass with an efficiency Kylo's father would have envied. “He knows where to find me.”

 

“Rey … I'm worried about you too. You should get help. I know Dr. Holdo would like to talk to you ...”

 

“Tell Holdo to sod off, Rose. I'm tired of people calling me a liar-- or worse, a maniac-- to my face. Maybe Finn and you can pretend it didn't happen, but  _ I  _ can't. I still see it in my dreams-- everything that happened on that damn island ...everything I had to do to survive ...”

 

“Rey ...”

 

“Sod off, Rose. Go. Just … go.”

 

The other woman bit her lip. “If that's the way you want it--”

 

“That's the way I want it.”

 

“Goodbye, Rey.”

 

“'Bye, Rose. Give Finn my love.”

 

“I … will.” Rose walked away.

 

“I need another drink!” Rey shouted at the bartender.

 

The man shook his head.

 

“Give the lady what she asks for, and my friend and I will have more of the same.” Kylo laid a handful of bills on the table.

 

The bartender frowned, but poured the drinks and put them on the table.

 

Rey Croft turned and looked at him.

 

She had plainly been drinking to excess for quite some time. Her breath stank of whiskey, and her eyes were bloodshot. She wore her hair in some weird three bun style that only a drunkard would think presentable. Her lip was quivering and unshed tears glistened in those red eyes.

 

Kylo Ren felt his heart stop when he looked into those tragic eyes.

 

“Who the bloody kriff are you?”

 

“I'm Kylo Ren. This is my friend and associate Armitage Hux. We have a proposition for you.” Hux coughed and smothered a laugh.

 

“He means a business proposition, love,” Hux told her. “Our boy Kylo here doesn't know how to talk to a beautiful woman. He grew up on a monastery, you see...”

 

“Right.” Rey snorted and took a sip of her drink. “A business proposition.”

 

“Can we go somewhere to talk? Somewhere less public? Somewhere private?”

 

Hux rolled his eyes. “Oh, that doesn't sound creepy, Kylo.”

 

“Shut up, Hux.” Kylo turned hopeful eyes to Rey. “I'll make it worth your while.” Even  _ he  _ understood how that sounded. “I mean … I just want some of you time. It doesn't have to be that private. A restaurant would be fine.”

 

“A royal invitation,” Rey murmured. “How can I refuse?”

 

“Royal?” Kylo inquired, his pale face going even whiter.

 

“My roommate …  _ former  _ roommate Finn Storm has dreams of working in the media. He bought all the scandal rags and even the more  _ respectable  _ periodicals. I recognize the Crown Prince of New Alderaan when I see him.” Rey's eyes flickered towards Hux. “Who's this?”

 

“General Armitage Hux, late of the New Alderaan Army, Lady Rey.” Hux sketched a bow. “If we're going to use titles that is. My wife Phasma is Captain of the Royal Guard-- and I'm currently tasked with making sure the young Prince here stays out of trouble.”

 

“Don't call me, 'lady,'” Rey retorted. “The family fortune and grounds-- what's left of them-- are currently left in trust.”

 

“Then don't call me 'prince' or 'your highness,'” Kylo replied, a hint of anger in his voice.  _ I'm not worthy to be a prince any longer … at least not yet. _

 

“Well now that the niceties are out of the way, what do you want?” Rey took another sip of her drink.

 

“A few minutes of your time,” Kylo added quickly. “We have a mutual friend.” If Chewie still considered himself a friend … after what had happened to Kylo's father … what  _ Kylo _ had done to his father … “Chewbacca.”

 

“That big hairball? He really is  _ that _ Chewbacca? I thought he was lying.” Rey's lips twitched. “He must be even older than he looks.”

 

“He used to tell me he was over 200 years old,” Kylo admitted. “It wouldn't be the strangest thing I ever heard if that was true ...”

 

Rey gave him a measuring look. “Me either.”

 

“There's a club not too far from here. Takodona. The owner's a friend of Chewie's. Maz Kanata. Have you ever been there?” Kylo held his breath. This was the closest he'd come to asking a woman out in his entire life … and it wasn't even for a date.

 

“I know of it. Chewie used to talk about it all the time. Said when we got back he'd treat us all to the best dinner we ever had.” Rey finished her drink. “It didn't work out.”

 

“I understand. You'll come with us?”

 

“With you, you mean.” Hux finished his own drink, grimacing at the trust. “I'm afraid I'm going to have to turn in.”

 

“But, Hux--” Kylo fought down a sudden panic. Hux knew him. Hux knew his story. He could trust Hux to keep him from getting hurt-- or hurting someone else.”

 

“Ben.” Hux squeezed his hand. “You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. You'll be fine.” He nodded to Rey. “And I'm sure this one can take care of both herself and you if the occasion calls for it.” He lowered his voice to a whisper that Rey couldn't hear. “She'll listen, Ben. I can tell. You were right. She's just what  _ you _ need.”

 

“What we need,” Kylo corrected automatically.

 

“Right. We.” Hux smirked and turned back to Rey. “He can be a bit of an arsehole at times, but Kylo's a good bloke. Bring him back to me in one piece.” There was a hint of a threat in his voice.

 

“I don't have the best track record for that,” Rey admitted easily, “but I'll do my best.”

 

“That'll have to do. I'll see you back at the hotel, Kylo.” Hux nodded to them both and then walked off.

 

“An interesting man,” Rey allowed.

 

“He's my best friend.” A soft smile broke across Kylo's lips. “With the possible exception of his wife, he's my  _ only _ friend.”

 

“I know what that's like. Shall we go?”

 

“Keep the change,” Kylo told the bartender as they got up.

 

“You made his night, you know.”

 

“Because of the tip?”

 

“Well, that and seeing me walk out of the bar with a man. Most of the time when a bloke approaches me he walks away empty handed-- sometimes  _ broken handed _ – if he's too persistent.” She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “I can take care of myself. Just in case you were wondering.”

 

“I know,” Kylo admitted. That was one of the reasons he had looked her up.

 

They were silent as they made their way to Maz's diner. They were a curious pair. A young earl's daughter dressed like a thrift shop refugee and the dark clad son of a queen who looked more like a university professor than a prince.

 

Maz was tiny, and so old that she looked almost young. “Ah, young Solo … and do my eyes deceive me or is this the legendary Rey Croft that my boyfriend has told me so much about?”

 

Rey blushed. “You and Chewie--?”

 

“Oh we've been an off and on thing for decades, dearie,” Maz smirked at her. She glanced over at Kylo and laid a hand on his. “Oh, Ben. I was so sorry to hear about Han ...”

 

“Me too,” Kylo looked away. He didn't want her to see the truth in his eyes.

 

“I'll give you two the best booth in the house. It's enclosed, but you can see out of the glass-- it's absolutely soundproof if you two want to whisper sweet nothings to each other.”

 

Kylo blushed. “It's a business meeting, Maz.”

 

“Of course it is.” Maz looks at Rey. “I think you could do with some tea, my girl. Ben?”

 

“Tea will be fine for me too. Are you hungry?” He asked Rey.

 

The young woman smiled. “I'm  _ always _ hungry.”

 

“Fine. Menus. And an appetizer if you have something ready.”

 

“Of course, Ben. Of course.” The tiny Maz led through the crowded diner and to a raised booth that had a perfect view of the stage.

 

When they sat down and had their tea delivered along with something to tide them over until their real meal was ready, Rey looked again at him. “What do you want … Ben Solo or Kylo Ren or whatever you call yourself?”

 

“I want to hear your story.”

 

“You can read the papers for that.” Rey shrugged.

 

“I want to hear the real story.”

 

“No you don't.”

 

“Yes. Yes I do.”

 

“You won't believe it.”

 

“You'd be surprised at what I'd believe, Ms. Croft.”

 

“Rey. Call me Rey.”

 

“All right, Rey.  _ Please.  _ Tell me the true story. I promise you I have reasons other than idle curiosity.”

 

So she did.

 

She told him how her mentor and guardian Unkar Plutt had assembled a crew and obtained a ship-- partially funded with the Croft Estate, partially by an advancement on a proposed reality series based on their expedition-- and went looking for the island of Yamatai, home to the legendary Storm King who had supposedly ruled for centuries. She told him about the storm that had wrecked their ship, the  _ Endurance,  _ and being stranded on Yamatai … a veritable asylum that housed countless other castaways and the descendants of castaways who had lived on Yamatai for thousands of years. She told him about her efforts to survive when she had been cut off from the others, their efforts to get off the island …

 

And then she told him the unbelievable part.

 

She told him how the Storm King still existed … trapped in the rotting corpse of a young man who had committed suicide rather than become the latest vessel of the insatiably evil spirit of the Storm King. She told him how they discovered that her best friend Finn Storm was a descendant of the Storm King … and how the madwoman Bazine Netal had tried to bargain for the freedom to leave the island by offering the Storm King Finn's body. She told him of her desperate fight to save her friend's body and soul … her improbable victory and the sad aftermath where their story was written of f as a lie, a publicity stunt, to recoup the money that had been lost with Plutt's death.

 

“Madwoman” was charitably the most polite description Rey heard of herself these days.

 

Somehow, even during the wildest parts of her story, Kylo Ren listened to her. She looked for shock, incredulity … concern … any of the countless looks she had seen in the eyes of the other people she had told this story to.

 

She didn't find it.

 

“Don't say anything,” Rey told; him when she finished. “Don't say anything until after we eat, okay? I just want ...”

 

_ I just want to pretend to be normal …. _

 

When dinner was over, they went for a walk in the crisp autumn air. It was then that Kylo spoke. “I believe you.”

 

Rey barked out a laugh. “Oh of course you do.”

 

“Rey--”

 

“Do you know how many times I've heard people tell me they believe me after I tell them my story? Do you know how many men-- and women-- have thought that if they told me they believed me I'd fall into bed with them out of gratitude? If you're trying to get somewhere with me, Kylo, you'll have to do better than that.”

 

“I'm not trying to get somewhere with you, Rey.” His face went red with embarrassment. “Have you ever heard of the Jedi Order?”

 

“The Jedi Order? That's a myth, surely.” Rey looked at him with honest interest. “They were supposedly a mystical order of some kind … a secular version of the Knights Templar, maybe. They were supposed to have magical powers ...”

 

“It wasn't magic. And the Jedi were real.”

 

“Oh, I know my father had records that indicated that  _ something _ called the Jedi Order lasted until the late 50s … supposedly wiped out during Prime Minister Palpatine's tenure … but surely that was just some rich boy recreation of the original order ...”

 

“No. The Jedi Order lasted for hundreds of years … until they were destroyed by one of their own.” He reached into his coat pocket and handed her something. “Do you know what this is?”

 

“It looks like some sort of hilt,” Rey examined it intently. “But … wait. This isn't a sword hilt. There's no sign it was designed to be part of a sword. It looks like a complete piece in of itself.” She cast a skeptical eye at him. “You're not telling me this is the fabled weapon of the Jedi … a soulsaber?”

 

“I'm not telling you that.” Kylo took the hilt back from her, his fingers seeming incredibly warm against her own. “You already figured it out.”

 

“It can't be a Jedi artifact. It's too new. It's too new to even be from the 1950s. Where did you get it?”

 

“I made it when I was younger.”

 

Oh that explained it. Some boyish prince dreaming of being the next King Arthur … “For a moment I was ready to believe the Jedi still existed.”

 

“They did … until about six years ago.”

 

“What?”

 

“You told me an impossible story. Will you listen to mine?”

 

In spite of herself, Rey nodded.

 

“My grandfather was Anakin Skywalker. You probably heard of him by his other name-- Darth Vader.”

 

Rey blanched. Darth Vader was a boogeyman … Prime Minister Palpatine's right hand man, a dark, scarred figure in black who went hooded and masked wherever he went. Rumor was that he had killed Palpatine on board the ill-fated Deathstar Aircraft carrier in the 1980s … Vader himself conveniently died at the same time so no one ever got official confirmation of the story.

 

“Anakin was a Jedi Knight. He went against his vows-- marrying a beautiful young senator from Naboo named Padme Naberrie. He had a premonition of her death, and was lured to joining the Sith-- the enemies of the Jedi from time immemorial-- by Prime Minister Palpatine--”

 

“Wait a minute. You're saying that Palpatine--  _ the _ Palpatine-- was some kind of monster? A demon?”

 

“He was a man. A very evil man with powers you wouldn't believe unless you saw them.” Kylo closed his eyes for a moment. “Palpainte promised that he could save Padme-- he lied, and she died giving birth to my mother and uncle. Uncle Luke was sent to live with his aunt and uncle and the King of Alderaan adopted my mother. They grew up without knowing that Skywalker-- Vader-- was their father.”

 

“I'm sorry, Kylo--”

 

“Please. Let me finish. You know that Prime Minister Palpatine died, and that Vader died with him. My mother and uncle inherited his abilities … Luke went on to found a new Jedi Order while my mother and father married, becoming the rulers of the refounded country of New Alderaan.”

 

“I know that at least some of that is true, Kylo, but what does that have to do with me?”

 

“You know that about six years ago there was a civil war in New Alderaan?”

 

“I believe I remember seeing something about it on the news,” Rey admitted. “Some noble calling himself Supreme Leader Snoke tried to take over ...”

 

“Yes. Snoke was like Palpatine-- he had abilities that most people would call magic. And he was older than he seemed-- far older.” Kylo closed his eyes. “A Jedi Master can become one with the Force--”

 

“The Force?”

 

“It's the living energy that binds everything together. The Force is what gives a Jedi- and Sith-- his power. Jedi can become one with the Force and manifest themselves to other Force users after death. The Sith do not have this ability. They do things differently.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“They steal bodies like that Storm King you told me about. Snoke had lived for centuries, stealing one body after another. Force Users were his bodies of choice-- their powers being added to his own. He would spend years, decades, corrupting his chosen host … weakening their will until he could steal their bodies and live anew.”

 

A sick feeling began to grow in Rey's stomach. “You. He went after you.”

 

“Yes. I was the Crown Prince. I was strong in the Force. Snoke started grooming me when I was in the womb. My parents didn't understand what was happening, but they sent me to study at my uncle's academy. Snoke's hold on me was too strong by that point-- Luke almost killed me, thinking that was the only way to free me. I … gave in. I became Snoke's servant, his creature. I burned Luke's Academy to the ground, killing my fellow students.”

 

His hands were shaking. He couldn't look her in the eyes.

 

“Kylo--” She had killed before. She had killed so many men now that she had lost count.

 

“My father saved me. He gave his life to save me. Together, we killed Snoke … and I thought I was free. But I'm not.” Kylo tapped his forehead. “A fragment of him is still in my head. Whispering. He can't control me now, but he can drive me insane … or to kill myself. I only have one hope … the Kaiburr Crystal.”

 

“The Kaiburr Crystal. It's an artifact of the jungle country Mimban. Rumor has that it has miraculous healing abilities. People have spent fortunes trying to find it since the 19 th Century.” 

 

“Yes. I think I can find it. But I need someone to help me.”

 

“Me? You want me to help you? Kylo ...” Rey shook her head. “I can't believe I'M the one saying this, but this is a mad idea. I think you may need help, but you don't need some magical crystal ...”

 

Kylo sighed. “Rey, you examined the hilt, right?”

 

“Yes ...” Rey replied, not seeing where he was going with this.

 

“You didn't see any sign of a power supply, right? No concealed blade?”

 

“No. I didn't.”

 

“Come with me.” Kylo walked over to an alley and stepped into it. “You can stay outside of it if you like. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable.”

 

“Too late for that, your highness,” Rey whispered, but she did not attempt to leave.

 

Kylo took the hilt of his soulsaber. “Do you want to examine it again? To make sure you didn't miss anything?”

 

“I don't miss things.”

 

“All right.” Kylo clenched the hilt in one fist.

 

And a blade of fiery, sputtering red light lit up the alley.

 

“That's-- that's impossible,” Rey sputtered.

 

Kylo swiped at one of the brick walls. The blade flared, and when he drew back Rey could see the brick scored as though someone had taken an acetylene torch to it. “It's real.”

 

“How are you doing that?”

 

“The Force allows me to channel my life force through the hilt of my soulsaber. The blade is a reflection of me.” Kyle unclenched his hand and the blade went out. “The blade is what it is because of what Snoke did to me. If the Kaiburr Crystal heals me, the blade will heal as well.”

 

“What do you want from me, Kylo?”

 

“I'm not entirely sure,” Kylo admitted. “It's just … I saw the articles about you. I heard fragments of your story, and I thought … you went through something like I did. You were able to help your friend Finn. Maybe … maybe you can help me.” Kylo held the hilt up again. “I don't want to be Kylo Ren. I want to be Ben Solo again, but I can't be him-- I can't lead my people-- until I'm clean. Until I'm free of what Snoke did to me. 

 

“And I can't do it alone. I'll never make it to the Temple myself. Hux and Phasma will help me to the best of their ability, but I need someone else. The Force is telling me that the person I need is you. Join me? _ Please. _ ”

 

“Kylo-- you don't know what you're asking of me. The hell I went through on Yamatai. I can't go through that again. You have no idea what it did to me. It ruined my friendships. It destroyed my life. I'm so alone--”

 

“You're not alone.” Kylo reached out and touched her hand again. “I promise you, you're not alone. Even if you don't go with me-- even if you can't, I promise you're not alone.”

 

Rey stared at him for a moment. She reached out and took his hand. “Neither are you.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “All right. I'll go to Mimban with you. If I can help you, I will.”

 

“Thank you, Rey. Thank you.” Kylo smiled at her.

 

“Let's go back to my flat.” Rey smirked when she saw the stunned look in his eyes. “To pack, you idiot. And you can tell me everything you know about Mimban.”

 

“All right,” Kylo whispered. He seemed shocked that she had agreed to help him.

 

“Right then. Let's do this.” Rey pulled him out of the alley. “Come on, your highness. We've got a lot to do.”

 

Hand in hand, Rey pulled him out of the darkness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With the release of the new Tomb Raider game, I found myself thinking about the revamp that came out in 2013 last night. It occurs to me that Lara shared some traits with both Rey and Kylo. Parental issues. Surviving terrible situations. Deceitful mentor figures. Hope you enjoyed it. :D


	15. Balance Pizza

 

 

Life hated Ben Solo.

 

He stared up at the old Jakku Apartment Building with a sigh of disgust. Of course the last delivery of the night would be at the Jakku Building. And on the seventh floor-- in a building that the other drivers had told him had a broken elevator.

 

“At least it's the last one for the night,” Ben told himself. “And hopefully Hux will find someone else to handle this kriffing job so I can get back to my _real_ job. It's all the Traitor's fault ...”

 

In other circumstances … if he had not been working his regular job as Assistant Manager at First Order Pizza  _plus_ working as the fill-in delivery driver … Ben would have admitted that Finn Storm had ample reason to quit. Hux treated all their employees like drones, like cogs in the First Order Pizza Empire … he claimed that it was to raise store efficiency but the turnover was atrocious … 

 

_Not like Jedi Pizza,_ Ben thought to himself.  _Grandpa Anakin never had to worry about his drivers quitting without notice …_

 

He shrugged that thought away.

 

Jedi Pizza was gone, destroyed … it died with Anakin Skywalker. Luke Skywalker had fled, taking the secret sauce recipe that Anakin had only revealed to him with him. Ben's mother and father had tried to carry on with Republic Pizza, but the store had crashed and burned and his father had gone back to working as an on the road trucker to support them. Leia was undaunted, having mortgaged everything she owned to start Resistance Pizza …

 

Ben closed his eyes momentarily, trying to will himself to forget the look in his mother's eyes when he told her he was going to work for Mr. Snoke … or the Supreme Leader as Hux insisted on calling him.  _“Of course, Ben. You have your own future to look after ...”_

 

He glanced down. His hands were shaking.

 

“Let the past go, Ben,” he reminded himself. “Kill it if you have to.”

 

Grandpa Anakin had died years ago. Luke had left. Jedi Pizza was gone. Soon, his mother's precious Resistance Pizza would be destroyed by the First Order's Starkiller Special …

 

And Ben would be given his own First Order franchise.

 

_I'll run it better than Hux,_ he promised himself.  _They'll all see that._

 

But first he had to deliver this kriffing pizza.

 

Normally, this would not have been a problem. He was in good shape. But this was Halloween … and he had been required to wear a costume. Climbing seven flights of stairs at night while wearing a helmet was not something he was looking forward to.

 

_I can't leave the helmet behind,_ he reminded himself.  _If anything happens to it Phasma will have my head._

 

Phasma was the head delivery driver, and a cosplayer. She had loaned Ben this outfit from her private collection. She had made it perfectly clear that if anything happened to it, Ben would pay … probably in _blood._

 

There was no help for it. He would just have to wear the kriffing helmet.

 

Ben sighed, slipped on the helmet and walked into the building.

 

Shortly, he found himself standing before Apartment 701. He dearly wanted to take the helmet off, but he had his hands full. It was all he could do to knock on the door.

 

The door opened so swiftly he was almost pulled inside.

 

The young woman looked him up and down. Mostly up because he _was_ rather tall. “Aren't you a little old for trick or treating?”

 

She looked vaguely familiar.

 

“First Order Pizza,” Ben held up her order. “We had to dress up.”

 

“Oh right. That's a nice outfit. Kylo Ren, right? From _Space Battles: The Source Awakens_?”

 

“Yes.” Ben's parents had loved the original trilogy, and had been disappointed in the second. His earliest memories were being curled up with Chewbacca the family dog watching  _A New Hope_ while his parents and uncle watched from the couch.

 

“I loved that movie-- especially Kira.” The girl smiled, pointing to the odd three bunned hairstyle she was wearing. “I was going to a party tonight dressed as her but plans fell through.”

 

“Sorry to hear that.” Ben didn't normally stop to chitchat with customers, but this girl was oddly familiar … and  _very_ pretty.

 

“What do I owe you?”

 

“Let's see. You ordered the Balance Pizza, the Dark Side Cookies, and the Light Saber Cheesesticks with the Sauce Awakens Marina. That'll be $46.50.”

 

Her face fell. “I thought the Starkiller Special was half price.”

 

“It is, but it starts on Monday.”

 

“Kriff. Just a minute.” The girl left the door and went to her purse.

 

This gave Ben a view of her apartment. It was so clean it almost sparkled, but most of the furniture seemed second hand or even home built. This was plainly not someone with a lot of money to spare.

 

She came back to him after ten minutes, red-faced and unable to look him in the eyes. “I don't have it. I'm sorry. I thought the Starkiller Special had started already. Will you take a personal check?”

 

“Company policy won't let us.” He looked again at the girl. She looked like she was going to die of embarrassment. “Give me the Starkiller price and we'll call it even.”

 

A defiant look came into her eyes and she looked up at him. “I won't take charity!”

 

Something about that defiance … that pride … sparked a memory.

 

He  _knew_ her.

 

Rey. Rey Niima. The scavenger, as Hux had called her in high school. The girl who always wore castoffs... mostly rags that she had somehow fashioned into something school appropriate.

 

The girl almost everyone laughed at because she was  _poor._

 

Ben winced at the memory.

 

He had not laughed, but he hadn't done anything to stop it. He had been wrapped up in his own struggles … his problems with his parents …

 

Grandpa Anakin would have been ashamed of him.

 

“Look, this is my last delivery for the night, and I don't feel like making dinner when I get home. I'll take a couple slices of pizza, and a cookie with me.”

 

“I won't take charity,” Rey repeated stubbornly.

 

“Rey, have a heart. If we don't do this I'm going to have to take everything back to the store-- and they're just going to take it out of my pay anyway.”

 

“That's not fair!” She glared at him … and then she blinked in confusion. “How did you know my name? I didn't tell you.”

 

Ben sighed. “We went to high school together.”

 

“Who are you? Hux? Dameron?”

 

“Neither of those.” He shifted. “This stuff is getting heavy. Take it. Agree to the deal and I'll take off the mask.”

 

Rey sighed. “Fine.” She took the bag and walked over to her kitchen. “Come on in. I'll wrap up your share.”

 

“All right.” He stepped through the door. He left it open because he didn't want to frighten her.

 

Rey placed the box on her rickety table and glared at him, putting both hands on her hips. “All right. I'm done talking to a creature in a mask. Take that damn thing off. You don't need it.”

 

“What do you think you'll see if I do?” Ben teased.

 

“The face of a friend.” Rey smiled back at him.

 

“Hope you still think that when the mask is off.” Ben sighed and removed the helmet.

 

Rey blinked. “Who  _are_ you?”

 

“You don't remember me?” Ben wasn't sure to feel relieved or ashamed he had made such a little impression on her.

 

“Sorry.” She looked at him up and down. “I'd think I'd remember someone with such pretty eyes.”

 

Ben blushed. “I wore glasses back then. I was a  _lot_ skinnier back then.”

 

She blinked.

 

Ben sighed. “You used to work in my father's garage.”

 

“Ben Solo,” she breathed. “It is  _you_ .”

 

He gave her a crooked smile. “Hey, Rey.”

 

“But I don't understand. Why are you working for First Order Pizza? You have your own store.”

 

“No I don't.” Ben closed his eyes. “Uncle Luke … he said that I wasn't ready to run Jedi Pizza. We got into an argument … he swore that he would  _never_ tell me the secret recipe for the Skywalker Pizza sauce. He left, and the store closed.”

 

“But your parents--”

 

“Mom didn't know the recipe either. Republic Pizza couldn't match the price advantage that First Order Pizza gets from its franchise size so they couldn't match our prices. Mom is trying again with Resistance, but all she's doing now is throwing her money away. The Starkiller Special will put the final nail in Resistance Pizza.”

 

“It wouldn't if your mother had the Skywalker Recipe,” Rey murmured. “That pizza was the best. People would gladly pay extra for that.”

 

“That's why she's trying to find Uncle Luke. Supreme Lead-- er, I mean Mr. Snoke-- wants to do the same. He's positive he can convince Luke to sell the recipe to him-- but he doesn't know how stubborn Skywalkers can be.”

 

“Ben, you should help your mother.”

 

“I can't. It's too late for that.”

 

“It's not too late. You have a choice, Ben.” Rey reached out her hand. “You're a good person. First Order Pizza isn't bad, but your family had a legacy to be proud of. Anakin Skywalker's Jedi Pizza brought people together. It was about companionship, community--”

 

_“Good food is like a Force that binds us all together, Benny,” Anakin had told his grandson as he taught him how to roll the dough. “The Skywalker recipe is a gift … a responsibility … and you have to promise me that when Luke passes it on to you you'll use it to make people happy.”_

 

_“I promise, Grandpa,” Ben had whispered._

 

“Go home, Ben. Go back to the people who need you. Be the person you were meant to be.” Rey stepped closer to him … closer than anyone had been in years. “I'll help you.”

 

“Rey ...” Ben shook his head. “We haven't seen each other in six years. Even in high school I was a brat. Why do you want to help me?”

 

She smiled at him. “Maybe it's those pretty eyes of yours …”

 

Ben chuckled nervously.

 

“Or maybe it's because I remember who laughed at me-- and who didn't.”

 

“I should have done more. I'm sorry.”

 

“Do more now. Make the right choice, Ben.”

 

She was still standing close to him. So very close …

 

“Rey ….”

 

“Ben ….”

 

Someone rapped their knuckles on Rey's open door. “Quiet down you two! Some of us are trying to sleep!”

 

Ben whirled and stared.

 

His beard was gray now. He looked even more cantankerous than he had six years ago.

 

“Uncle Luke?!”

 

Luke Skywalker put on a pair of glasses and glared at him. “Ben? You look ridiculous.”

 

“You look like you could use a shave and a haircut yourself, Uncle Luke. What are you doing here?”

 

“I live here. What are you doing here-- aside from trying to make a play on my pretty neighbor?”

 

Rey blushed.

 

“And you're a fine one to talk about needing a haircut,” Luke added.

 

Ben rolled his eyes. “Why, Uncle Luke? Why did you leave? Why did you leave when Mom needed you so badly?”

 

Luke sighed. “Because it was time.”

 

“Time?”

 

“Time for Jedi Pizza to die--”

 

Ben stared at him.

 

“So a New Jedi Pizza could rise.” He looked at Ben and Rey again. “Quit your job, Ben. You're going back to work with me.”

 

“I am? What makes you say that?” Ben felt the anger surging in him again. Luke always treated him like this …

 

“Because I need you. I can't do this without you.” Luke held out a quivering hand. “Ben … please.”

 

“I'll help you, Ben,” Rey promised. “I'll be right there with you-- if you want me.”

 

“Of course I want you,” Ben snapped back.

 

Rey blushed.

 

“I mean to help me ...”

 

“Oh ...”

 

“Don't mind him,” Luke told Rey with a twinkle in his faded eyes. “Ben inherited his height from his father, but his lack of finesse with the ladies is all Skywalker. He likes you-- he's just terrified to admit it.”

 

“I am not terrified!”

 

“Do you like Rey?”

 

“Of course I like Rey!” Ben sputtered. “I had a crush on her since high school!”

 

“Why don't you tell her?”

'

“He just did.” Rey took his hand. “Luke, shut the door on your way out.”

 

“But we have plans to make!” Luke protested.

 

“Later. Ben and I have a lot of talking to do.”

 

“Talking. So that's what they're calling it these days. Don't tire him out too much. Tomorrow morning … tomorrow morning Jedi Pizza Returns!”

 

“That's for tomorrow.” Rey pulled Ben's face down to hers. “Tonight Ben Solo belongs to me.”

 

“I do?” Ben asked dubiously.

 

“You do. Tonight. Tomorrow. And forever.”

 

And then she kissed him and Ben Solo did something that Skywalkers almost  _never_ do.

 

He forgot all about pizza.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanted to write something a little more down to earth after last chapters. In case you're wondering, Balance Pizza is half meat lovers, half veggie lovers.


	16. Soulsaber

 

 

If you looked long enough you might find out the ramshackle collection of buildings out in the middle of the Jakku Desert had once been a small town called Niima. Those who remained there never thought of it by that name though. One man called it his kingdom.

 

Everyone else called it hell.

 

The girl was called Rey. She had no other name that she could remember, and Unkar Plutt had refused to tell her of any other she might claim. She dimly recalled her parents-- recalled them leaving her behind with a promise they would be back.

 

It was that promise that kept her sane.

 

Night was almost over, and she was due back at Plutt's bar. The air conditioning had broken down over a day ago, and Plutt was upset that she had not yet found the parts to repair the ancient equipment. An angry Unkar Plutt was never good.

 

Bad things happened when Unkar Plutt was mad.

 

People died.

 

If they were lucky.

 

Rey made her way across the desert on the old motorcycle she had cobbled together. She had finally found the parts she needed and she had to hurry. Plutt had promised bloodshed if she did not have the air conditioner up and running by sunset. Rey was reasonably sure he would not kill _her_ , but she did not relish the thought of someone else being murdered because of her failure.

 

She knew she was being reckless. She knew she was going too fast. She didn't have a choice. The clock was ticking …

 

And then a tall man in black appeared out of nowhere-- directly in her path!

 

Rey had time to curse as she swerved her bike out of the way … she cursed as she lost control and dove off it before it hit a boulder.

 

“Are you all right?” The man's voice was curiously calm as though he had not almost died. He was clad all in black-- trousers, tunic, duster … he even wore some kind of black hood …

 

And a mask.

 

Rey gaped at him in shock. Then anger found her tongue. “You kriffing idiot! Do you have any idea what you've done?!”

 

“I'm sorry. I'll pay for your bike.”

 

“The bike is nothing! I have to get back to the bar! I'll never make it on foot in time!”

 

The man looked at her with his eyes hidden behind his mask. Was he deformed? Was that why he wore a mask? “I have a car. I had to change a flat tire. I can take you where you need to go.”

 

Rey shook her head. “Mister, you don't want to go where I am headed. Trust me.” She paused. And tried to use the  _Voice_ .  _“Give me your car keys.”_

 

The man blinked. “That was unexpected. You have the Talent.”

 

Rey frowned in dismay. Plutt-- and his new prisoner-- were the only ones who she'd ever met with the Talent. Plutt was the one who had taught her. She was supposed to be his “apprentice.” “Please … your car. I need it. I swear I'll bring it back. Plutt--”

 

“You know Unkar Plutt. You know where he is.” The man reached into his coat and pulled out a photo. He handed it to her. “I'm looking for this man. Have you seen?”

 

Rey stared in shock. “Finn ...”

 

“You _have_ seen him.”

 

“He came a week ago. He tried to help us-- he tried to save us. But Plutt was too strong.”

 

“That sounds like my cousin. Is he still alive?” There was an edge to the man's voice-- she wasn't sure if it was anger or fear.

 

“He was when I left at dusk. Please, I have to get back. You can't come with me. Plutt will kill you--”

 

“He can try.” The man began walking. “Come with me. I'll get you where you need to go.”

 

Rey bit her lip. Something about this man … something about him terrified her … and yet she was drawn to him as well. “Don't blame me if you get yourself killed ...”

 

“I won't.”

 

 

..**..

 

 

No one who still lived in Niima can remember what it was like before Unkar Plutt came. The ones who had lived there before were long dead. The ones who remained were the unlucky ones-- the ones who had stumbled across Plutt's little kingdom and caught his fancy or irritation … or their children.

 

He was a fat man … grossly so. At present he was sitting in a tub while two of the girls who were still pretty fanned him in an effort to keep him cool. They were sisters-- two young women on vacation who had had the misfortune to stop in Niima to ask for directions. Plutt liked pretty girls. He liked to look at them.

 

Fortunately, looking seemed to be all that he was capable of.

 

Other men and women sat in the bar, listlessly waiting to see which one of them Plutt would kill if Rey failed to deliver on her promise to repair the air conditioning. Fear had been drummed out of them long ago-- and more than a few of them were probably praying they  _would_ be the one Plutt chose to kill.

 

Death was better than this living hell.

 

“Rey is almost out of time,” Plutt said in a bored voice as he looked at a clock. “Teedo, get the soulsaber.”

 

The little man who served as Plutt's right hand man scrambled to his feet and went to the bar, rummaging through the toolbox that Plutt used to keep his most prized treasures in. He pulled out a metallic hilt and brought it over to him. “Here, boss.”

 

“Now who shall I use this on?” Plutt looked at each of them in turn. He stared at the young women who were still fanning him. “Paige? Rose? Would either of you like to volunteer.”

 

The sisters feverishly shook their heads. “Please, Unkar--” Paige began.

 

“That's  _Lord Plutt,_ girl!” Plutt waved a hand and Paige was knocked across the room. She hit hard and groaned.

 

“Paige!” Rose turned to run to her sister but stopped by Teedo.

 

“Don't, little miss,” the little man warned her. “Just keeping doing what you're told-- for both your sakes!”

 

Plutt turned his new toy over and over in his hands. “Perhaps I should use it on my new guest. It was his, after all.”

 

The door opened. Rey ran through the door. “I have it, Unkar! I have the parts! I can fix the air conditioner!”

 

“I'm afraid you're late, Rey.” Plutt sneered at her. “You know what happens when people disappoint me.”

 

“Please--”

 

And then the tall man in black walked into the bar. “I've come for the Jedi.”

 

Even Unkar Plutt could be shocked. He stared at the man in black. “You came in without my permission. Go!” He gestured.

 

The man was pushed back several feet, but he remained on his feet and did not go flying as Paige had done. “You have  _some_ power, Unkar Plutt. Sadly for you, I don't think it will be enough. The Jedi. Where is he?”

 

“ _Who are you?”_

 

“I am Kylo Ren.” 

 

Unkar Plutt blanched. “No. He wouldn't send you after  _me._ He wouldn't send one of his Knights of Ren after me!”

 

“I came on my own-- and I serve no master now. Though you are telling me the other thing I wanted to know. Snoke taught you, didn't he?”

 

“That's Supreme Leader Snoke!” Plutt rose out of the tub. He was naked, but his genitals were hidden in layers of fat. “My Master gave me this place! You don't have the right to take it!”

 

“The Jedi, Plutt. Where is he?”

 

Rey watched the two men. She wondered if anyone else could feel the energy gathering around them. She rushed over to Paige Tico and felt the girl's pulse. She was alive.

 

“You'll die never knowing!” Plutt gripped the soulsaber and it sprang into life. The light it emitted was a fiery orange. It sputtered and sparked.

 

“That blade does not like your touch, Unkar Plutt.” If anything, Kylo Ren seemed more amused than anything else. He drew what looked like a sword hilt from his belt and held it before his face.

 

It too sprang too life, but his weapon was a fierce white-red blade that blazed with such power that it lit up the bar.

 

With an agility no one present would have credited him with, Plutt leaped forward and lashed out at Kylo Ren. The taller man caught his blade with his own and pushed him back with the Talent.

 

Plutt snarled and gestured with his free hand, sending furniture and bottles flying towards the man in black.

 

Kylo batted them aside as though they were nothing. He walked towards Plutt-- not like a man in a fight, but rather with the impatient gait of a man who has better things to do. “You  _will_ tell me where the Jedi is, Plutt.”

 

“Master! Master!” Rey could feel the thought flying out of Plutt's brain towards something else... someone else.

 

“He won't come, Unkar Plutt. And even if he did, you would be dead before he could get here.” Kylo stalked towards him.

 

“Rey!” Plutt cried out suddenly. “Help me! Help me or you'll never know where your parents are!”

 

“You'd force a  _child_ to fight your battles, Plutt?” Kylo demanded. Rey could sense a cold fury kindle in Kylo's soul.

 

Uncertainly, Rey pulled her staff off her back. “I don't want to, but I need my family!”

 

“Rey, no!” Rose cried. “This is the only way we can be free!” 

 

“You think Kylo Ren has come to save you?” Unkar Plutt demanded. “He's a Knight of Ren! He's a more of a monster than I can ever be!”

 

“That is true,” Kylo admitted. “I  _am_ a monster.” 

 

Rey could feel the pain in Kylo's mind as he said those words and her heart went out to him.

 

“But now … now I  _hunt_ monsters.” Kylo moved towards Plutt once more.

 

Rey took a step towards him.

 

“No!” Rose Tico rushed forward and tackled her. “I won't let you do it!”

 

Rey had lived almost all her life in Niima. She was hard and full of fight, but Rose was filled with the strength of desperation. The two of them struggled on the ground as Rey fought to free herself while Rose fought to hold her down.

 

“Enough of this.” Kylo Ren gestured with his free hand and Rey felt his Talent surge as he  _lifted_ Plutt into the air. She felt her teacher fight to free himself, but his strength was nothing compared to the Knight of Ren's. 

 

Kylo gestured again and the soulsaber flew out of Plutt's hand and into his own. He tucked it into his belt. “You  _will_ tell me everything I want to know, Unkar Plutt!” He gestured again and Plutt flew through the air towards him.

 

The Knight of Ren placed his hand on Plutt's head. “The Jedi. Where is he?”

 

“No!” Plutt screamed. “No! Rey!”

 

“Unkar!” Rey reached out with her Talent and shoved Rose aside.

 

“You have a choice, Rey,” Kylo said without looking at her. “You can try to stop me. You might even succeed. But once you do that, you'll become Plutt's creature. I've served a master like him. It cost me everything I held dear. It made me a monster. Make the right choice, Rey.”

 

Rey sobbed. “My parents ...”

 

But she let her staff drop.

 

Kylo Ren turned his full attention back to Unkar Plutt. “The Jedi. Where is he?”

 

And this time, Unkar was the one to scream in the bar.

 

He screamed for a very long time.

 

..**..

 

 

They found Finn Skywalker in the basement of the bar.

 

He was dehydrated, but alive. He looked up weakly at Kylo Ren and Rey as they helped him up the stairs. Rose Tico ran to their side with a bottle of water and handed it to the young man.

 

“Ben?” Finn asked after he had drank some water. “It  _is_ you.”

 

“I used to be Ben Solo,” Kylo Ren admitted. “I am … pleased you're still here, Finn Skywalker.”

 

“Cousin.” Finn reached out and grabbed Kylo's shoulder. “I tried to reach out to Dad or Aunt Leia, but I don't think they heard me. I didn't even think to try for you … I should have known better. I'm sorry.”

 

“You have nothing to apologize for, cousin.” Kylo Ren handed him the soulsaber he had taken from Unkar Plutt. “Your weapon. You might want to clean it before you use it again. Plutt had his grubby hands all over it.” 

 

“Thank you, Ben.” Finn took the soulsaber. It blazed with a blue light. “I don't know what Dad would say to me if I lost Grandfather's blade.”

 

“Probably something unprintable.” Kylo gestured. “There are people here who need help. You should probably contact Moth--  _Leia_ . She can help them.”

 

“You could call her yourself. The number's still the same.”

 

“I can't, Finn. You know why.”

 

“Ben, come home. You know she wants you too-- kriff,  _we_ all want you to. You don't have to fight Snoke alone.”

 

“I'm not Ben Solo any longer, Finn. What do you think you'd see if I took off this mask?”

 

“The face of my cousin. The man I love like a brother.”

 

“He's gone, Finn. He can't come back. It's best that you-- that all of you-- accept that.” 

 

“Ben--”

 

“Help them, Finn. You know that I can't.” Kylo turned and walked out the door.

 

Rey touched Finn's shoulder. She glanced over at Rose. The young woman had a bloody lip and a black eye from their struggle, but she didn't look angry. “Go, Rey. I'll take care of our friend here.”

 

Rey nodded her thanks and raced out the door.

 

Kylo was headed back to his car-- a black sportster. 

 

“Kylo, wait!”

 

The Knight of Ren stopped. “What do you want, Rey?”

 

“My parents. You were in Plutt's mind. Did you see what happened to them?”

 

He paused. “Yes.”

 

“Tell me. Please.”

 

Kylo removed the glove of his right hand and silently offered it to her.

 

Rey touched it …

 

_She saw her parents again. Her father and mother looked fearfully at Unkar Plutt who had his hands on Rey's shoulder. “Give her back … please.”_

 

_Unkar Plutt sneered._ _**“Walk into the desert. Both of you. Don't stop for water. Don't stop for anything. Keep walking.”** _

 

_ “Come back!” Young Rey screamed as her parents mechanically walked out the door. “Come back!” _

 

_ “They're nothing,” Plutt told her. “You have Talent, but neither of them do. They're nothing. I'll teach you what you need to know. And when you're ready, you'll go to the Supreme Leader. He'll be so  _ _**pleased** _ _ with you ...” _

 

_ Rey stared fearfully at the fat man, and continued begging for her parents to come back … but they never did. _

 

“He killed them!” Rey wailed as she fell to her knees. “He killed them! He sent them out to die of exposure! Just like the others! He killed them …”

 

“I'm sorry, Rey.” Kylo helped her to her feet. “You  _ do  _ have Talent. Go with Finn. My family will help you. They'll teach you how to use it properly. To be a Jedi.”

 

“You called Finn a Jedi.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Is that what you are?”

 

“I was-- once. Not any more.”

 

“What happened?”

 

Kylo sighed. He reached up and took off his mask. “I agreed to become a Knight of Ren.”

 

He looked at her.

 

Rey gasped.

 

He was a striking young man … no more than 30, surely. Not exactly handsome in the conventional sense, but Rey found herself liking what she saw.

 

Except for his eyes.

 

His eyes weren't normal at all. They glowed with a soft yellow light … and were slitted like a cat's.

 

“What happened to you?” Rey whispered. “Who did this to you?”

 

“He's called Snoke … Supreme Leader Snoke to those who serve him. He has the most Talent of anyone I ever met. He taught me. Made me Master of the Knights of Ren. And when I rebelled, he left me with these eyes so I would always know that I was his creature in a mask.” Kylo put his mask on and held up his soulsaber that blazed once more with red light. “His Mark taints my soul. It's the reason I can't go home. The reason I have to walk alone. It's too late for me, but others can be saved.”

 

“I want to help you.”

 

“You can't. No one can help me.”

 

“I want to help you stop Snoke. He made Plutt. Plutt stole everything from me.”

 

“Plutt will never hurt anyone else ever again.”

 

“But Snoke is still out there making other Plutts. I want to stop him. I want to make him pay for what happened to my family.”

 

That was true.

 

But it wasn't the  _ whole _ truth.

 

Rey could not explain it, but she felt drawn to this tortured self-described monster. She knew he wasn't a monster-- at least, he wasn't  _ wholly _ a monster. He came for Finn. He helped them-- he helped all of them.

 

He could be saved.

 

Ben Solo could turn.

 

She was sure of that.

 

“You can't come with me. Your staff won't protect you from the Knights of Ren. You'll get yourself killed without a proper weapon.”

 

“She can take mine.” Finn hobbled out of the bar after them, supported by Rose and her sister Paige. “I'm not going to be swinging a soulsaber any time soon, Ben. I've seen and heard enough to know that Rey can take care of herself-- you can use the help.”

 

“She doesn't know anything about a soulsaber.”

 

“Rey, come here.” Finn pressed his weapon into her hands. “This soulsaber was crafted by  A nakin Skywalker-- he was my grandfather-- and Ben's. Our power comes from him. If you have enough Talent, you can bring life to it. It can protect you-- and those you care about.”

 

Rey took the weapon gingerly. It had no switch that she could see. “How do I make it work?”

 

Kylo snorted behind his mask.

 

“Just think about what matters to you, Rey-- think about what you care about.”

 

Rey closed her eyes. She thought about Finn and the Tico sisters. She thought about Teedo and all the other people of Niima who had shared her torment at Plutt's hands. 

 

Nothing.

 

And then she thought about Kylo Ren … Ben Solo.

 

And the soulsaber flared to life … a bright purple blade of light.

 

“How very fitting,” Finn said with a smirk. “Purple is a sign of great passion ...”

 

Rey felt herself blush … and the blade went dark once more. “I'll take good care of it, Finn. I promise.”

 

“I know you will.” Finn kissed her forehead. “And please take care of him. I want my cousin back.”

 

Kylo walked towards his car. “I never said she could come with me.”

 

“She goes with you-- or I tell Dad you're still using your old soulsaber. You know he can track you through that.”

 

“Traitor.” Kylo glared at Finn. “And after I saved your life ...”

 

“And I'm trying to save yours, Ben. Please.”

 

Kylo sighed. “All right-- she can come with me-- until she realizes how bad an idea this is. I'll make sure she has the means to get in touch with you when she's ready to abandon me.”

 

Rey felt her eyes sting at those words. “I know what that feels like. I  _ won't _ abandon you, Ben.”

 

“Call me Kylo.”

 

“No.” Rey crossed her arms. “I like Ben better.”

 

Kylo sighed. “As you wish. Get in the car. We can stop in Takodana. I'm sure Maz Kanata will want to meet you.”

 

“Who's Maz?”

 

“A friend of my family's. She might be able to help you find your place in all this.”

 

_ I know my place,  _ Rey thought to herself suddenly.  _ It's with you. _ “Fine. Let's go then. You can buy me breakfast on the way.”

 

“Why do I have to buy?”

 

“You wrecked my bike. You owe me.”

 

“If you had been watching where you were going--”

 

And they were still arguing when they drove off.

 

Finn smiled to himself and leaned on Rose Tico. “Godspeed, cousin.” And for the first time in years, the young Jedi allowed himself a spark of hope where Ben Solo was concerned.

 

His cousin had thought himself forever damned. That Snoke had destroyed Ben Solo and only left the monster Kylo Ren in his wake. He was wrong.

 

Ben Solo still lived. He lived in the compassion he had shown Rey and other victims of Unkar Plutt. He lived in the loyalty he had shown to Finn himself.

 

And somehow Finn knew that Rey, the girl from nowhere, was going to be the one to help Ben himself realize that he still had a place in the world.

 

“Let's go back inside, Rose,” he told the feisty young woman at his side. “I've got an aunt who's been waiting for a long time to hear news of her son …”

 

Rose smiled at him. She kissed his cheek. “Let's go.”

 

And they walked inside.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mark Hamill called John Boyega "son" on Twitter. I'm not the first person to establish Finn as Luke's son, but it works really well with the Soulsaber concept. (Which I know I used once already in this collection but I really like it.) :D


	17. Revenant Ren

Kylo Ren was staring at her.

 

Rey was struck once more by how pale he was. When she had first seen him-- when he had first taken his helmet off for her-- she had thought that one of his parents must not have been human. He was far too pale … but as she had later discovered, his parents were fully human. Perhaps it was the Darkside that had drained all color from his face.

 

“Murderous snake!” She hissed at him.

 

He moved towards her.

 

Rey stood her ground. “You're not really here. You can't hurt me. I'm safe.” Her eyes flickered towards the scar on his face-- it had not yet begun to heal. As a matter of fact, it had been stitched close-- Rey was familiar with that crude medical technique-- she had even had to use it on herself more than once-- but surely the First Order had access to superior medical technology that that.

 

Kylo stared at her. “You're afraid.”

 

“You're too late.” Rey stood up straight, hating the way that Kylo managed to loom over her. “You lost. I found Skywalker.”

 

“How's that working out for you?” His face was expressionless. “Has he told you what happened the night that I destroyed his academy? Has he told you why?”

 

“I know everything I need to know about you.”

 

“You do?” He peered into her eyes. “Ah, you do. You have that look in your eyes from the forest-- when you called me a monster.”

 

“You _are_ a monster.”

 

“Yes I am,” Kylo admitted, and there was a flash of something in his eyes … misery? “You have no idea how right you are-- or who made me into one.”

 

And then he was gone.

 

..**..

 

Rey had stood in the old Jedi Temple listening to Luke Skywalker talk to her of the hubris of the Jedi … how their pride had led to the fall of the Republic. She had tried to argue the point, but the man's pain allowed no argument. She listened until finally he spoke of his nephew.

 

“I saw Ben, my nephew-- with that potent Skywalker blood-- and in my pride I thought I could train him. That I would not be the last Jedi …” He took a deep breath. “Han was .. Han about it, but Leia trusted me with her son. I took him and a dozen students and began an academy.” He took a deep breath. “But by the time I saw the darkness rising in him was too late.”

 

“What happened?” Rey asked.

 

“I went into his hut while he slept. I could hear the Force whispering about him … warning of the Darkness rising … I wanted to talk to him, but Ben woke up … the Darkness in him flared to life and he brought down the ceiling down on me...” Luke sighed. “He must have thought I was dead. When I came to, he had vanished along with a handful of my students. The others were dead, the academy was burning Leia blamed Snoke, but it was my fault. I failed Ben because I was Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master. The legend.”

 

“The galaxy _needs_ a legend. I need someone to show me my place in all this. You didn't fail Kylo-- he failed you. I won't.”

 

Luke stared at her. “I have no idea who's more dangerous; the one who wants to destroy me or the one who wants to become me.”

 

..**..

 

Rey was struggling to fight back her frustration with Luke Skywalker, the gnawing realization that she would not be able to bring him back to the Resistance … that he would not help her. “Chewie, get ready for launch. We're leaving.”

 

And then she felt it … _him._

 

“I'd rather not do this right now.” She did not look in his direction.

 

“Yeah, me too,” he replied softly.

 

“Why did you hate your father?” She spun around to look for the answer in his eyes. “Oh ….”

 

Kylo was stripped down to the waist. The stitched scar that began on his face snaked down his neck and across his collarbone. He was massive, muscular in a way that she had never seen before. Her eyes went up and down his chest … gasping when she saw a red glow in the darkness.

 

There was a faceted stone in his chest. It must have been nearly as big as Rey's palm. It pulsed with a red light … in a pattern that reminded her eerily of a heartbeat.

 

Kylo stared at her. “I didn't have a choice.”

 

“Everyone has a choice.” Rey forced her eyes away from the stone. “Can you put on a cowl or something?”

 

“Not liking Luke's handiwork?”

 

“What do you mean?” She spun around.

 

“I told you a monster and asked you who made me into one.”

 

“Yourself, obviously. Snoke, perhaps.”

 

“No. Luke did.”

 

“Stop lying to me. Tell me the truth-- why did you hate your father?”

 

“I don't hate my father-- _didn't_ hate him. I didn't have a choice.” Kylo touched the stone in his chest.

 

“I told you already-- _everyone_ has a choice.”

 

“No, scavenger. Only the _living_ have a choice.”

 

She stared at him in confusion. “You had a father who loved you-- who gave a damn about you. Why did you kill him? _How_ could you kill him?”

 

“I told you-- _I_ didn't have a choice.” Again he touched the stone in his chest. “This took away my choice. _Luke_ took away my choice-- he took away my choice when he _murdered_ me.”

 

“Murdered you?” Rey shook her head. “You're _insane!_ ”

 

“No. Not insane. Enslaved.” He frowned. “Did Luke tell you what happened that night?”

 

“Yes.” She knew it was a lie, but she did not want to give ground to this madman who claimed to be no longer alive.

 

“No,” he replied.

 

_Ben awoke twice that night._

 

_The first time was to see Luke Skywalker standing above him with an activated light saber. Ben called his own weapon to him in a desperate attempt to block his uncle's weapon. He raised his free hand, desperately attempting to bring down the ceiling of the hut on his mad uncle …_

 

_But Luke slipped through his defenses as though they weren't there and stabbed him in the heart._

 

_He knew a moment of heat … of pain … and then darkness …_

 

_Only to awaken hours later with half a giant kyber crystal in his chest and his uncle standing over him with an amulet that seemed to contain the other half. Luke said something-- but Ben could not reply, could not move …_

 

_And Luke left him in the wreckage of his hut … no longer alive … nothing more than a puppet to whoever held the other half of the crystal._

 

_..**.._

 

“He sensed my power,” Kylo told her gently. “He feared it-- as he feared yours. You should leave this place before he can do to you what he did to me.”

 

“Liar,” Rey whispered. “He didn't-- he wouldn't have done that...”

 

“He would he did. I reached out for help- but the only one who came was Snoke. Somehow he managed to wrest the crystal from Luke … and then he ordered me to kill the other students. I didn't want to, but my will was no longer my own. Everything I was-- everything I could have been-- was stripped from me the night Luke Skywalker killed me.”

 

“No,” Rey whispered. “No ...”

 

And then Kylo Ren was gone again.

 

 

..**..

 

“I just wanted to see my parents,” Rey whispered.

 

“I know,” Kylo replied. He was sitting close to her … almost as though he were warming himself by a fire.

 

“I've never felt so alone ...”

 

“You're not alone.”

 

“Neither are you.”

 

“I _am_ alone, Rey. I always have been. Always will be. Years ago... when what happened to me was new … I used to dream of my parents coming to my rescue. But now … Mother will never forgive me … _I_ will never forgive myself.”

 

“Kylo … Ben ...” She caressed the name. “You don't deserve what was done to you. There has to be something we can do to free you ...”

 

“Snoke has the other half of the crystal. I can never be free.”

 

“That's not exactly true ...” Luke whispered as he entered the hut.

 

“You!” Kylo rose up to his impressive height and drew his light saber.

 

“It's true, isn't it?” Rey asked Luke, stepping between them. “You _created_ Kylo Ren.”

 

“Yes,” Luke said softly. “Ben … I'm sorry.”

 

 _“Sorry?_ ” Kylo stared angrily at him. “You _killed_ me, Uncle Luke! And then you didn't even have the decency to let me stay dead! You brought me back-- you made me a plaything of whoever holds that damn crystal! You made me a _monster!_ ”

 

“I did. I'm sorry, Ben. I'm so sorry ...” Luke's voice shook. “I didn't … the vision that came to me showed you doing terrible things. Yes, for a moment … for a moment I lost my way … and then … when I came to my senses it was too late ...”

 

“You stabbed me in the heart, Luke!”

 

“It was reflex. Instinct. When the roof started to come down, I acted to stop it … I didn't even stop to think. Ben, I am so sorry ...”

 

“Even if my death was an accident, you didn't have to bring me back.”

 

“Ben …”

 

“How did you do it, Luke?” Rey asked. “I know the crystal has something to do with it.”

 

“The Jedi can heal, but they can't bring the dead back to the land of the living,” Luke whispered. “But in the years before I formed my academy, I scoured the Galaxy learning all I could of the Force. I found the crystal in Palpatine's personal effects. The crystal … and the explanation of how to use it. I thought I could fix my mistake, Ben. I couldn't face your mother knowing I had failed you. I couldn't live without myself without at least _trying_ to bring you back. Even if it meant calling on the Darkside ...”

 

“Did you know _what_ you were bringing back, Luke?” Kylo asked with a sneer.

 

“No,” Luke admitted. “When you returned, you were defiant, angry … afraid. I thought you were just as you were … and then-- while holding the crystal-- I told you to just forget what happened. A figure of speech … but you did. And it was then I knew why the Emperor had created the crystal-- not to bring life to the dead, but to create _slaves ..._ ”

 

“And then you let the crystal fall into Snoke's hands.”

 

“Sheeva-- one of the other padawans-- was secretly serving Snoke. She stole the crystal from my effects and brought it to him. And then ...”

 

“And then he ordered me to destroy the Academy. To murder the padawans. To kill Lor San Tekka and order the destruction of his village.” Kylo closed his eyes. “To _murder_ Han Solo. Do you know the terrible things I've done, Luke? All the terrible things Snoke has _made_ me do?”

 

“I thought you did them of your own free will, Ben. I thought you had _turned_ to the Darkside.” Luke reached out to his nephew and then let his hand drop. “I never would have left you if I had known you were being held against your will.”

 

“It's too late for regrets, Uncle Luke.” Kylo closed his eyes. “This … thing. This bond with Rey has given me just enough of my freedom back to know how much I am truly Snoke's creature.”

 

“There is a way to free you, Ben.” Luke looked at him. “If the crystal is destroyed, then you will be freed of its influence.”

 

“But if the crystal is keeping Ben alive ...” Rey began.

 

“Then I'll die,” Kylo-- no, _Ben_ \-- said softly. “But I've been dead for years, Rey. Death is a small price to pay to be free of Snoke.”

 

“No!” Rey called out. “I'll come for you, Ben! I'll bring you back!”

 

“You can't. Snoke would just order me to return-- and I would have no choice but to do so.”

 

“Ben, tell me where you are,” Luke said softly. “I'm coming to get you.”

 

“He wants you there, Uncle Luke. Nothing would make him happier than to have Luke Skywalker at his mercy. He'll kill you.” Ben's voice faded to a whisper. “He'll _order_ me to kill you.”

 

“I've failed you long enough, Ben. Tell me where you are.”

 

“Luke--”

 

“I'm coming to get you, Ben.” Luke's face was implacable.

 

“ _We're_ coming to get you, Ben,” Rey added.

 

“Uncle Luke... tell her not to go ...”

 

Luke cocked an eyebrow in amusement. “Rey isn't very good at doing what she's told. You might have noticed that.”

 

Rey glared at both of them.

 

Ben sighed … and told them what they needed to know … he managed the final coordinates right before the bond faded.

 

Without another word, Luke turned towards the _Falcon_. “Chewie! Get ready for takeoff! We're leaving!”

 

A surprised Chewbacca roared in response.

 

“We're going to save Ben.” Luke frowned slightly, perhaps expecting an argument, but that wasn't what he got. “What do you mean 'it's about time?'”

 

Rey tried to contain her impatience. Ever since Kylo-- _Ben_ had told her the truth of his origin she had felt … _sympathy …._ ( _it had to be sympathy because anything else would be foolish for a girl from nowhere) …_ for him. She wanted to see him free ….

 

She wanted to see him.

 

..**..

 

Rey knew Chewbacca was an excellent pilot. She thought of herself as a good one … and in the brief time before she left the Resistance to find Luke she had heard of Poe's expertise … none of that prepared her to watch Luke Skywalker pilot the _Millennium Falcon._

 

The _Falcon_ dove through the hell of blaster file and proton torpedoes that the First Order unleashed at them as though it was the lightest of snub fighters. Each time Rey was certain that there was no escape, Luke managed to dodge a blast that could not be deflected and deflect another that could not be dodged. They flew into the landing bay seconds before the blast doors could be locked into place.

 

“Chewie, get out of here. We'll find our own way out.” The Wookie roared. “I _know_ he's your nephew too, but we need you to pick us up later. Go.”

 

Rey used her own light saber to deflect blaster bolts as she had seen Ben do on the day they met. She shoved Stormtroopers aside with the Force and sent them to sleep with a single gesture whenever possible. She fought like she had never dreamed of fighting before.

 

But Luke … the man who had once chastised her for thinking that he could fight the entire First Order with a laser proceeded to do just that. AT-ATs were tossed aside like children's toys. Hatches designed to survive explosive decompression were forced open with the barest flicker of a finger. Where Rey was able to sleep one or two Stormtroopers at a time, Luke ordered scores into unconsciousness with a single whisper.

 

She could feel Snoke's presence on the horizon like some malevolent storm. Even now, the Supreme Leader seemed unconcerned with their approach. He was like some giant spider in a web … awaiting his prey …

 

And When Luke burst through the entrance to his throne room, Snoke laughed as though it were the most amusing thing he'd ever seen. “Ah, the Jedi Master returns.”

 

Ben was with him as were a dozen men (at least they looked like men) clad in blood red equipped with various weapons. Ben was wearing the mask of Kylo Ren again, blood red light saber at the ready. The weapon trembled in his hand, and Rey could sense the young man's quiet fury as he fought to free himself from Snoke's hold.

 

“I've come for Ben,” Luke said, his own weapon at the ready. To Rey, the Jedi Master looked twenty years younger, filled with all the fire and determination she would have expected from a legend.

 

Snoke was fingering a glowing red gemstone he wore on a chain around his neck. “Ah, my apprentice. The heir to Darth Vader.”

 

“I know the truth now, Snoke. You took Ben's choice away from him. He did not choose to be Kylo Ren. You _forced_ him.”

 

“Did I?” Snoke tapped the stone. “I'd say that _you_ did that, Luke Skywalker. After all, you _killed_ Ben Solo, and then wrenched his soul from the living Force … all to alleviate the guilt you felt for his murder. Poor Kylo and I aren't the only monsters in the room.”

 

Luke flinched. “Give me that stone.”

 

Snoke smiled. “Come take it.”

 

Luke took a step forward.

 

Ben stepped between them. “I can't control myself ...”

 

“It's all right, Ben. I know.” Luke readied himself to fight.

 

“Kylo Ren,” Snoke thundered. “Destroy the girl!”

 

Ben dodged past Luke and rushed Rey herself. She barely had time to raise her lightsaber in defense. “Fight it, Ben!”

 

“I'm trying!” he growled. “But I can't disobey a direct command.” She could sense him trying though … fighting with a fury that made his earlier struggles seem insignificant.

 

She had fought Kylo Ren before … and in her naivete, thought she had won on her own. She knew now that he had been holding back …not wanting to hurt her, or even defeat her …

 

Now he was fighting himself as much as her, but his blows were lethal ones … ones that could easily maim or kill her if they connected. Rey was strong and fast-- she had to be to grow up on Jakku-- but it rapidly became apparent to her that she could not long stand up to a murderous Kylo Ren … no matter how hard Ben Solo fought to save her.

 

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Snoke and Luke engaged in a struggle of their own. The Supreme Leader was attempting to hurl Luke back … throwing items-- even one of his Praetorian Guards … but the Jedi Master moved implacably forward, leaning forward as though fighting a strong wind.

 

The Praetorians stood by, not having entered the fight yet. Rey was grateful for that as she could barely spare a moment to watch for them.

 

“Rey,” Ben called out. “I'm ordered to kill you, but not defend myself. I'll try to lower guard so you can get in a killing stroke.”

 

Rey almost dropped her lightsaber. _“No!”_

 

“Rey,” even in their battle Ben managed to sound gentle. He had always sounded gentle to her. “You can't save a dead man.”

 

“We can-- we will!” And Rey stepped back, forcing him to chase her.

 

Luke had reached Snoke. The two of them were struggling … Rey watched as Luke tried to wrest the crystal that enslaved his nephew from Snoke's neck …

 

And that's when one of the Praetorians stepped forward and stabbed Luke in the back.

 

The Jedi Master fell without a sound.

 

“Luke!” Ben roared in fury-- and loss.

 

Rey held out her hand.”To me!”

 

The chain that held the crystal around Snoke's neck snapped and the crystal flew into Rey's free hand.

 

It pulsed in her hand … beating rapidly like a racing heartbeat.

 

Ben turned to her.

 

“Kill him,” Rey ordered savagely. “Kill Snoke!”

 

Ben tore off the mask of Kylo Ren and turned his furious gaze on Snoke.

 

“You cannot kill me, Kylo Ren! I am your master!” Snoke wheezed.

 

Ben simply gestured, and Luke's lightsaber activated itself and cut the Supreme Leader in half.

 

For a moment, there was silence … and then the Praetorians were upon them.

 

..**..

 

It didn't take long.

 

Rey rushed to the stricken Skywalker. She felt his neck. “Ben … he's still alive.”

 

Luke smirked at her, coughing up some blood. “Legends never die, kid.”

 

The pulsing of the crystal in her hands had slowed down, but not stopped. She glanced over at Ben.

 

He stood watching the two of them. “Snoke had an escape shuttle. Take that and get Luke to Chewie. He'll help you get to safety.”

 

“What about you?”

 

“Snoke is gone, but Hux is still alive. If I kill him, the Resistance might just manage to survive.”

 

“Ben … that's suicide.”

 

He gave her that sad smile again. “Already dead, remember?”

 

“I could order you to come with us,” Rey said, raising the crystal once more.

 

“Rey … please. I want to be free.”

 

“You are free! I have the crystal!”

 

“ _You_ have the crystal-- and you just threatened to order me to come with you.”

 

“So you won't die!”

 

“This isn't living, Rey. Please.” He held out his hand. “Give me the crystal.”

 

“Ben ...”

 

“Rey...”

 

Luke opened his eyes and grabbed the crystal from Rey's hands. “You're free, Ben.”

 

And he smashed the crystal onto the deck.

 

There was a flash of light. When it cleared, Luke was unconscious again. Rey rubbed her eyes frantically. “Ben … Ben ...”

 

Ben Solo fell to his knees.

 

Rey gently lowered Luke to the deck and rushed to his side. Acting on instinct, she tore open his tunic to look at the half-crystal that had kept Ben “alive” for six years.

 

It was colorless, and even as Rey watched, it fell to pieces.

 

“No ...” Rey whispered brokenly.

 

Ben smiled and kissed her forehead. He closed his eyes and waited to die.

 

Rey placed her hand on that pale cold face …

 

And felt it grow _warm_ again.

 

She watched in awe as color returned to his pale cheeks … his lips opened and she felt warm breath waft across her face.

 

“I'm alive,” Ben Solo murmured in shock.

 

“You are,” Rey said, taking his face between her hands. “You really are!”

 

And then she kissed him as though her life depended on it.

 

She would have kept on kissing him if a wry voice had not interrupted. “Can you two hold off on the kissing until we're safely off this deathtrap?”

 

Ben broke the kiss and flushed in embarrassment. He smiled at Luke. “Whatever you say, Uncle Luke. Whatever you say ...”

 

And the three of them headed for Snoke's shuttle … and the Resistance.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My Halloween Reylo story. Not exactly as scary as I thought it might be, but I found myself wanting to give Luke a starring role in the story to help him atone for making Kylo Ren in the first place. :D


	18. No One

 

 

Ben Solo had grown to loathe the color black.

 

He had spent six years working with First Order Industries as Kylo Ren. He had started as a junior accountant and worked his way up to become a member of Andrew Snoke's personal staff … the so-called Knights of Ren. It had not been easy, and Ben had been forced to do things that he found morally questionable at best-- and illegal at the worst. If not for the promise that he had made to his dying grandfather …

 

_I'll finish what you started, Anakin Skywalker,_ Ben thought to himself with a sigh.  _I'll get the evidence to bring down what's left of Sheev Palpatine's empire of blood once and for all. I just hope that I won't become a monster in the process. I hope to God I don't wind up like Armitage..._

 

Ben winced as he thought of the brilliant ginger engineer. He'd met Armitage Hux in college; back then, the man had been terse, but approachable. Ben was convinced that with the right help, Armitage could have found his way out of the darkness and become a great benefactor to mankind …

 

But Snoke had gotten his hooks into Hux when the engineer was just a child. Unloved and unwanted, Hux had been starved for parental attention … and had fallen under the thrall of the wicked old man who had bought up the remains of Palpatine's company to form First Order Industries. Now Hux was creating weapons of mass destruction for Snoke to sell and acting like a petty dictator, a mad general, to his subordinates.

 

The name “Kylo Ren” and the black suit that Snoke insisted all of his personal staff wear was just another sign of Snoke's obsession with control. Snoke wanted to own those who worked for him body and soul; the higher your position the more he wanted to make you crawl … sometimes literally.

 

Snoke insisted his personal staff keep their cell phones on at all times … which explained why Ben's phone was ringing for him after midnight. He spat out an obscenity and picked up the phone, knowing who was calling by the ringtone. “What do you want, Hux?”

 

“Watch your attitude, Ren. Mister Snoke does not tolerate insolence.”

 

Ben rolled his eyes. “Again, I ask: what do you want … GENERAL Hugs?”

 

“That's  _Hux,_ ” Armitage growled. He lowered his voice. “Kira has gotten herself arrested. Snoke wants you to bail her out. With luck, you can get her out of there before the media gets the news.”

 

“What did the little Empress do-- run over a puppy?” Ben had never met Sheev Palpatine's granddaughter, but he had no doubt that the girl was a chip off the old block. Why else would Snoke dote on her. She  _had_ to be a monster …

 

“No. She was at the Hays Minor protest.” Hux coughed. “On the side of the protesters”

 

Ben raised an eyebrow. Hays Minor was one of the reasons that he kept digging for proof of Snoke's corruption; the small mountain town had been devastated when The First Order took over their mining facilities. He had found indications that proper pollution controls weren't instituted, but nothing that would stand up in court. “Well, well.”

 

“I've known Kira since she was a child,” Armitage said, and there was a trace of affection in his voice. “She's a brilliant girl … would make a first rate engineer if she ever decides to apply herself, but she fritters her time away restoring cars and trying to make inappropriate friends.”

 

“She's got a taste for low company, eh?” Ben pulled on his pants. “Text me the jail address and I'll get right on it.”

 

“On it.” Hux's voice softened. “Be discrete, Ren. And gentle. Remember, she still has a controlling interest in First Order Industries. When she turns 21, she could cause Mr. Snoke all kinds of problems.”

 

“I'll handle it, Hux. Don't worry.” He glanced at the address. “I'm on my way.”

 

 

Rose Tico rubbed her eyes as she sat on the small bench with Finn Storm on one side and the girl calling herself Rey on the other. “Paige should never have been working in that damn mind, but Dad had so many medical bills … we needed the money … they hit a gas pocket … it was like she was dead center of a bomb going off … twelve people died that day including Paige … and it never would have happened if those First Order fascists had kept up the equipment like they promised!”

 

Rey squeezed Rose's hand. “I'm so sorry, Rose. That never should have happened.” She glanced over at Finn who looked away, unwilling to meet her gaze.

 

“It's not your fault,” Rose told her. “You were great … standing with us at the protest … I'm just sorry the two of you got arrested along with us.”

 

“It was the right thing to do,” Rey murmured, trying hard not to feel like a hypocrite.” This wasn't the first time she'd heard such stories … but this was the first time she had really spoken with someone who had suffered firsthand.  _I have to do something …_

 

Finn squeezed Rose's hand again. He was Rey's personal bodyguard, assigned the position by Chief of Security Phasma herself. He was every bit as good natured as he looked, and Rey found it hard to believe he had somehow managed to impress Phasma.

 

He had definitely impressed Rose. The other young woman had tried to convince both Rey and Finn of the righteousness of their cause, but whenever she had a choice she preferred to look into Finn's eyes rather than Rey's.

 

And Rey was thankful for that.

 

She had done what she could to disguise herself before she went in the middle of the protesters; wearing ragged clothing that Finn had procured for her, wiped away all her makeup, and adopted an odd three bunned hairstyle all to make herself look like anyone other than Kira Rachel Palpatine. It seemed to have worked-- and for that Rey was thankful.

 

There was every reason to think these people would not take kindly to her true identity if they knew who she truly was. Finn had cautioned her against that very possibility when she had first told him of her desire to disguise herself to find out why these people hated her so.

 

She had suspected they had good reason to be so angry … but hearing the details made Rey acutely aware of her own helplessness. She was just nineteen; she would not inherit full control of her share of the company until she turned twenty one. She was being hated for things that she didn't order, that she couldn't stop … all because her last name was Palpatine.

 

A voice … a scared, nervous voice … shook her out of her reverie.

 

“We didn't know, Mr. Ren. We really didn't. We never would have left her in there if we had known who she was ...”

 

“She had better be all right.” The voice was soft, but oddly dangerous. It caused a chill to run up and down her spine.

 

Finn stood up. “Over here, Mr. Ren!”

 

Rose looked at him in confusion.

 

Rey glared daggers at her friend. “Finn!” she hissed.

 

“It's my job,” he told her gently. “I have to keep you safe. That's why I called.”

 

“Traitor!” Rey snarled.

 

“It was my duty, Kira-- I mean Rey.” Finn looked at her sadly.

 

“Kira?” Rose whispered. “Your name is Kira ...”

 

“I prefer my nickname,” Rey told her gently. There was no way this was going to go right. “It's based on my middle name.” She swallowed, but forced it out. “Rachel.”

 

“Kira Rey …” Rose's eyes hardened. “Kira Rachel.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Kira Rachel Palpatine!” Rose spat out the name.

 

“Yes.” Rey stood up and moved away from Rose. She knew what was coming.

 

The other protesters, having heard her name, glared at Rey. They began to mutter angrily.

 

Finn hastily inserted himself between Rey and the crowd. “There'll be none of that. Leave her alone.”

 

“Get that door open!” the man named Ren shouted. Rey hadn't had a chance to look at him, but she was sure that he was just like the other “Knights of Ren”-- sycophantic, small-minded, and ugly.

 

Rey could hear the deputy fumbling for the keys. “Leave that woman alone unless you all want to be up on assault charges too!”

 

“It'd be worth it,” one of the protesters grunted. He took a step forward.

 

Finn braced himself for attack. Rey did likewise. _I hope those self defense classes do me some good. Wish I had my fighting staff though._

 

“No ...” Rose's voice was soft, but not gentle. “We won't sink to her level. We're not going to win by destroying what we hate-- however much she deserves it. We're going to do it by saving what we love.”

 

“Rose ...” Finn began. “She's not like that-- You don't know her.”

 

“I know she lied to me. I know her company destroyed my home. I don't need to know any more.”

 

Rey choked back a sob. Hearing Rose say those words hurt more than any blow ever could, but she didn't try to reply.

 

There was nothing she could say. Rose had already made up her mind.

 

The cell door came open. The deputy nervously led “Ren” to her.

 

“Ren” looked at her. “Ah. It _is_ you.” He held out a hand. “Kylo Ren. I am honored to meet you, MS. Palpatine.”

 

Rey sighed. She looked at Rose once more. Rose had turned her back on them. “Just go, Kira Rachel Palpatine. I'm sure you'll get lots of laughs as you tell all your rich friends how you put one over on us.”

 

“I don't have any friends ...” Rey whispered.

 

“We should go,” Kylo told her gently. “Mr. Storm?”

 

“He can find his own way home,” Rey said angrily. “I don't want him around me right now.”

 

“Kira--”

 

“It was _Rey_ , Finn. Now … now it's just _Ms. Palpatine.”_ She looked at Kylo. “Let's go.”

 

Finn sighed, and said nothing more as he watched them walk away.

 

 

 _She's so young,_ Ben thought to himself. _And pretty …_

 

Way too pretty to be the granddaughter of Sheev Palpatine … maybe she was adopted.

 

“What? Do I have something stuck in my teeth?”

 

“No, Ms. Palpatine. You're just … not what I had expected.”

 

She laughed. “Of course not. You probably thought I'd be some kind of vapid airhead … or an angry shrew.”

 

“Well, you do seem kind of angry, Ms. Palpatine...” Ben couldn't stop himself from saying.

 

She glared at him and then sighed. “Call me Rey.”

 

“All right.” _You can call me Ben …_ _no, wait. That would be a bad idea._ “Kylo.”

 

“You have no idea how lucky you are to be no one, to come from nothing, Kylo.”

 

Ben nearly bit his tongue off. “What?”

 

“Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I mean … you have no idea what it's like to come from a family with such a powerful legacy to live up to ...”

 

 _You have no idea._ “That must be hard.”

 

“It is. I mean, I know that I'm lucky to be born into such wealth and privilege, but my entire life people have either hated me for things my family did or tried to suck up to me in order to get something from me. I've never had anyone I could trust.” She glanced back at the jail cell. “I thought I had found a friend in Finn, but he was just doing his job … making sure that Kira Palpatine didn't get hurt … or more importantly, tarnish her family legacy.”

 

“He looked like he cared about you to me,” Ben told her gently. “If it was just a job for him he wouldn't have looked so downcast.”

 

Rey looked uncertain. “I'd like to believe that, but it's so hard to be sure.” She kicked an errant pebble out of her way. “I _know_ my grandfather was a monster, and my parents weren't much better.” She snorted. “They'd have sold me for a bottle of booze if they ever ran out of cash.” She looked down. “They died in a car crash. My drunken idiot father was too proud to let someone else drive them home. Everyone is waiting for me to act just like them-- drunkards like my parents or go on some kind of corporate conquest like my grandfather.”

 

“I'm sorry,” Ben said gently. He thought guiltily of his own parents-- he hadn't seen either of them in the six years he'd been working undercover with the First Order. It was important-- he had promised Grandfather Anakin-- but it made him ache to think of what they must think of him now …

 

“Thank you.” She looked up into his eyes. “You know, I almost feel like I should know you.”

 

 _Well, my grandfather did spend decades working undercover to bring your grandfather down, so that might be why you think that …_ “Maybe it's fate.”

 

“That sounds like a pickup line. Is that a pickup line, Kylo Ren?” She stepped in front of him and looked challengingly into his eyes. “Are you trying to pick me up?”

 

Ben looked down at her and smiled. “Well, you do look kind of small so I probably could do it. I lift weights.”

 

“I can tell.” Rey smirked and gave him a wolf whistle. “Oh boy can I tell.”

 

“It helps me manage my temper,” Ben said defensively.

 

“You seem like a pretty mellow guy to me.”

 

“See? It works.” He gave her that crooked smile that he had inherited from his father and she blushed as she looked away. _Damn it, Ben. She's just a kid. What the kriff are you doing?_

 

“Rose … the girl back there … she's a good person. She has a legitimate reason to hate me ...”

 

“To hate First Order, perhaps. Not you. You're not in charge. We both know that.”

 

Rey shrugged. “As far as the world is concerned, Kira Palpatine and the First Order are more or less the same thing. There's nothing I can do to change that.” She looked at her hands. “If there was only some way the past would die … if I could just kill it...”

 

“You can't kill the past, Rey. Believe me, I learned that the hard way.” He reached out and offered her his hand. “But you don't have to let it define your past. At 21 you gain control of your fortune and company …”

 

“I don't want it. I never have.”

 

“I understand. But you can use it to bring a new order … you don't have to be your grandfather or Snoke. You can be someone else. You can be better.”

 

“Do you really think I can?” Rey looked up at him.

 

“I think you can do anything you set your mind to. There's a … force about you.” He smiled. “And, Rey?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Even if you hadn't been born Kira Palpatine … even if you had come from nothing, you wouldn't be no one.” He coughed, suddenly aware that he was still holding her hand. “Not to me.”

 

Rey blushed, and then reached up and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

 

Now it was his turn to blush. He felt like his face was practically glowing in the dark. “I should take you home … I mean, your home.”

 

Rey laughed. “Darn. I was hoping for the alternative.”

 

Ben laughed nervously. “I don't think that would make a great impression on Mr. Snoke.”

 

“Probably not.” They were still holding hands. “Would you … would you like to go out for coffee before you take me home? There's a diner I always wanted to try.”

 

“Sure.”

 

“And Kylo?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I'm sorry. I was wrong earlier. You are definitely someone. Someone I think I like.” She took a deep breath and then looked away. “Can we be friends?”

 

“I think we already are.” Ben smiled at her and squeezed her hand. “Let's go get that coffee.”

 

And-- still holding hands-- they walked off into the night.

 

 

 


	19. Space Battles the TV Show

 

 

Skywalker Studios had more lives than a cat, Ben Solo reflected as he drove his sleek black Interceptor through the front gates. Art Detoo and Cecil Threepio (who had been working there since the days of his grandfather) waved him through the gates and he drove straight towards the lot where the shooting would take place. “I hate this,” Ben muttered to himself. “I swore I'd never come back here ...”

 

But he had no choice, he knew.

 

Not if he wanted to keep acting.

 

His dreams of an off-Broadway man play were likely to remain just that unless he got the money that Uncle Luke had promised him for a guest star stint on the show that was currently keeping Skywalker Studios afloat: _Kira of Jakku_.

 

After _Ben Lonestar and the Jedi Academy_ had folded, Ben had honestly thought Luke would lose it all. He was a decent enough actor, but Luke had never had his father Anakin's consuming passion for what the more rabid fans called the _Starstrider Saga._ Taking over the Studio had been Luke's way of connecting with a father he barely knew. After playing the part of Luke Starstrider (Anakin almost always used the given names of his family when writing his scripts), Luke had taken the reins of the Studio shortly before Anakin's sudden death. Rather than keep producing movies as Anakin would have done, Luke had turned to television, creating a low budget syndicated series that built on the lore of the Space Battles universe while hopefully providing the Studio with enough money to keep going.

 

 _Ben Lonestar and the Jedi Academy_ had been set years after the last Space Battles movie. Luke had managed to talk Ben's parents into allowing Ben to star in the show. They had even been convinced to do some guest starring roles when ratings needed a boost. Luke was nothing if not good at laying on family guilt.

 

At first, Ben had loved it.

 

He was twelve years old when he took the part. He spent countless hours not just learning how to act, but also how to write scripts, direct, run the cameras, do sound checks-- he wanted to learn it all. The rest of the cast took to calling Ben “Luke's real life Padawan” as he learned everything about film making.

 

And then he grew up.

 

Ben Solo had been an endearingly cute kid, but puberty had not been kind to him. He shot up in height till he towered over everyone. Reading cruel comments on the internet about his complexion, his weight, his ears, his nose … Ben began to loathe the limelight and everything to do with _Space Battles_ and the Starstrider Saga. When he asked his Uncle to be given time off from the show, to get a breather, to take other roles, improve his craft, Luke had refused to give him time off.

 

So at 19 he burned it all down.

 

He refused to sign a contract extension even though the network was prepared to toss a huge amount of money at Skywalker Studios for keeping the show running. As soon as the seventh season was finished, he walked off the lot and never came back.

 

Without Ben Lonestar, the network had refused to even consider letting _Jedi Academy_ continue. It never got an eighth season.

 

With his creditors nipping at his heels, Luke Skywalker had refused to shutdown the studio or lay off his staff. He finally managed to snag a deal for a NEW show with a streaming service. The budget was smaller than the _Jedi Academy_ , but Luke was able to keep the studio running.

 

Rey Jackson had been selected to star as _Kira of Jakku._ A young orphan, Kira lived on the desert planet of Jakku and had many adventures as she tried to discover what had happened to her parents and survive the cruel guardianship of Unkar Plutt. With a restricted budget, no one expected _Kira of Jakku_ to last more than a season.

 

But Rey Jackson proved to be a breakout star. Charismatic, a hard worker, she grew from an adorable child actress to an attractive young woman in _Kira of Jakku's_ six year run. Always willing to go above and beyond to promote the show, Rey was one of the most popular young actresses in the world. There were rumors on the internet that Luke had been lobbying to produce a new Space Battles trilogy starring Kira.

 

At first, Ben had been happy to let Rey have all the Space Battles fame. But as time passed-- watching her standing with his uncle and parents as though she were part of the family-- Ben had felt the faint stirrings of jealousy. Had Luke ever praised his acting like that? Had Han and Leia ever been so openly affectionate with him?

 

She was no one, she came from nothing … but it seemed like his family had chosen to share the love and affection with her that he always felt so lacking towards him.

 

Ben threw himself into his own work, writing an autobiographical play that told the story of a young man striving to free himself from his grandfather's legacy. A one-man show, he did not have high hopes of a monetary reward, but he wanted to prove to everyone-- especially his uncle-- that Ben Solo _could_ act.

 

But to give his play off the ground, Ben needed both money and publicity.

 

It was because of that need that he did not immediately throw the script away that Luke mailed to him. He didn't read it, but he didn't throw it away. He knew Luke. There would be more of an attempt than an unsolicited script.

 

A couple days after the script, his old co-star Armitage Hux came to visit.

 

Armie had stayed in the business; getting a bit part here and there, with a fairly recent starring role in a movie about rabbits. As Armitage Hugs, he had been Ben Lonestar's nemesis on _Jedi Academy._ The son of an Imperial Officer, Armitage continually tried (and failed) to capture Ben and the other Academy students for his father.

 

“You've not read the script have you?”

 

“Luke told you?”

 

“Of course he told me.” Armie grinned. “I'm on the show.”

 

“ _Kira of Jakku?_ You're on that show? Since when?”

 

Hux grinned. He was much sweeter natured than the evil Armie of _Jedi Academy,_ but he _did_ know how to annoy Ben. “This last season. My episodes haven't appeared yet. Remember Phasma?”

 

“The girl you had a crush on? Of course I remember her.”

 

“She's on it too. I'm the Red General. She's the Commander. We're leading the First Order.”

 

“The First Order?”

 

“They're taking over from the Empire. Instead of an Emperor, we have a Supreme Leader. You'll never guess who it is.”

 

“Who? Dad?” At this point, nothing was going to surprise him.

 

“Smeagol Snoke.”

 

“Snoke? You're _kidding._ ” Snoke had been cast as a teacher at the _Jedi Academy._ There were hints that he might be secretly a villain, but nothing in the show had ever pointed to him being a Big Bad. “So this script is about Jedi Knight Ben Lonestar coming back to stop the First Order?”

 

“Not exactly.” Armie coughed. “Luke's been writing hints of a new bad guy running around named Kylo Ren. He's not appeared on the show yet, but my scripts are saying he's the one who destroyed the Jedi Academy. He's going to be another Darth Vader.”

 

“Right.” Ben rolled his eyes. “So Luke is planning on playing this Kylo Ren guy?”

 

“No.” Armie coughed again. “He wants you to do it.” Armie looked down. “He's going to reveal that Ben Lonestar destroyed the Academy, went Darkside and joined the First Order.” The ginger grinned. “The fans are going to go _nuts_. _”_

 

Ben sighed. He felt strangely disturbed by the idea that Ben Lonestar would have turned evil. Was that what Luke thought of him? “I see.”

 

“This is the final season for _Kira of Jakku._ They're setting it up for the movie trilogy that Luke wants to write and direct. He thinks that having Ben Lonestar be the villain will cause the fans to literally _demand_ the movies be made.”

 

“That seems kind of cynical for Luke.” His uncle had always been many things, but Ben didn't remember him being quite so … so not-Luke.

 

“He said he's tired of the responsibility. He wants to wrap up the _Starstrider Saga_ in the trilogy, and hopefully sell the studio off to Disney or someone else.”

 

“Sell the studio? But that's been his life work … and Grandfather Anakin's before him ...”

 

“He said it's time for Skywalker Studios to end, Ben.” Armie shrugged and clasped Ben's shoulder. “Look on the bright side, you play Ben Lonestar one final time, and then you get to bury him and put it all behind you.”

 

“I guess ...”

 

..**..

 

Ben had read the script .. and asked for the others. Reading them, seeing the things that Luke had written that Ben Lonestar … _Kylo Ren_... had done seemed like an accusation against Ben Solo.

 

Burned down the Jedi Academy … murdered the other students …

 

Most of Ben's young co-stars had wound up leaving the business after the last season of Jedi Academy. Poe Dameron had stuck to acting like Armie and Phasma, but the others were either unable or unwilling to find other jobs. It could be argued that Ben Solo destroyed their futures ...

 

Kylo Ren was to kill Lor San Tekka and an entire village of Force Worshipers. Lor had been a kind, grandfatherly man in _Jedi Academy_ who served as Ben Lonestar's friend and mentor. Was that Luke writing in their own relationship … equating Ben's leaving like a light saber to the chest?

 

“He tried to kill my career,” Ben muttered angrily as he once more thought of that script. “I had an offer for a _movie_ … I could have shown the world I was more than _Ben Lonestar ..._ ”

 

Even after six years, Ben found that he still knew his way around the studio. He angrily opened the door up to his trailer …

 

But it wasn't his trailer anymore.

 

It was Rey Jackson's … and apparently she was in the process of getting dressed.

 

“What the hell--”

 

“Oh kriff! Sorry!” Ben closed his eyes and spun around. “I thought this was my trailer ...”

 

“You're him. You're Ben Solo.”

 

“Yes. And you're the girl I heard so much about ...” He tried to keep his tone light …

 

“You're a monster!”

 

“Hey, it was a mistake. I said I'm sorry ...”

 

“You're going to pay for what you did ...” There was an unwonted anger in her voice.

 

“Hey, look. I'll get out of the trailer ...”

 

“I'm not talking about that.” She took a deep breath. “You can turn around. I'm decent again.”

 

“You are,” Ben said as he turned to look at the girl once more. “Ah, yes. You are.”

 

Rey was already in costume in an outfit that resembled Luke's from A New Hope. She had an odd three bunned hairstyle. She was fairly tall for a woman-- though Ben towered over her-- and she was definitely athletic.

 

She was also quite pretty.

 

“I'm sorry.” Rey ran a hand through her hair. “My rudeness was uncalled for.”

 

“It's all right.” Ben ran a hand through his own hair, grateful that it kept his Dumbo-sized ears hidden. “But why did you call me a monster?”

 

“Luke said ...”

 

“Ah, Luke. That explains it.”

 

“Look, do you want me to tell you what he said or not?”

 

“I can guess, but go ahead.”

 

“He said that without a Skywalker to take over, it was time for the studio to end. As soon as this season is over, he's going to look for a buyer. As long as the buyer is willing to fund a new Space Battles movie, he's willing to turn the studio over to them.”

 

“What's so bad about that?” Ben fought down his own disquiet over that. “I mean, you're young-- and pretty talented from what I heard. You'll have other acting jobs.”

 

“ _Kira of Jakku_ isn't just a job for me,” Rey said softly. “The people here are the closest thing I've got to a family. So many people are going to lose their jobs-- you know staff cutting _always_ happens when a studio is bought by another company.”

 

“Skywalker Studios hires good people. They'll be able to find other jobs-- and if I know my uncle, he'll make sure they're all given a generous severance package.”

 

“Maybe--”

 

“Rey, nothing lasts forever. Sometimes you just have to let the past … die.” Ben shrugged. He wanted to reach out and touch her shoulder, but he decided that would probably not be appropriate at this point.

 

“Maybe so, but you don't have to kill it.” Rey looked up into his eyes. “You were Ben Lonestar. Millions of kids grew up thinking you were their hero. And now … now you're throwing that all away. How can you do that?”

 

“I didn't write the scripts, Rey,” Ben told her with a frown. “Luke did that. I'm just the actor-- he's the one making Ben Lonestar into a monster.”

 

“But Luke said ...”

 

“What did he say?” Ben asked her.

 

“He said the only reason you agreed to come back was to make Ben Lonestar into a monster ...”

 

“I never said that. He didn't ask. He just wrote it and I agreed.”

 

“Why would he say that? Why would he lie...?”

 

“He's disappointed you. I know how that feels.” Ben paused. “But to be fair, Luke may have just assumed that I wouldn't play Ben Lonestar again unless something bad happened to him.”

 

“Would you have?” Rey smiled at him. “Would you have played a Jedi Knight? I have to admit getting to team up with Jedi Ben Lonestar was one of my secret fantasies when I got this job ...”

 

“It was?” Ben blinked in surprise.

 

“It was. Still is, actually.” Rey winked at him.

 

“Maybe that could still happen.” Ben looked down at his hands. “I mean, there's still time to rewrite some of the scripts. I could help Luke ...”

 

“Would you?”

 

“I would. But he won't listen to me. He's got his mind made up.”

 

“Maybe not. We can at least try.” Rey reached out and took his hand. “Come on, Ben. Let's go talk to him.”

 

“About what?”

 

“About changing the script. About letting you write some of it.”

 

“Rey, this won't go the way you think. Luke is very stubborn.”

 

“Yeah, I know.” She smiled. “But so am I. And we have him outnumbered.”

 

“You have the true spirit of a Jedi,” Ben observed with a smile. “You just never give up.”

 

“I know.” Rey smirked. “Come on. Let's fix this.”

 

And off they went.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hardest part with this chapter was finding a stopping point. Giving Snoke the first name of "Sméagol" was fitting given his actor's other famous role. And those of you with good memories may remember that "Lonestar" was the name of the "Luke/Han" pastiche of "Spaceballs." :D


	20. Balance

 

 

Rey hated parties.

 

She had spent six years learning to be a Jedi Knight … learning how to trust other people … trying to find the belonging she had always sought … she had become adept at using the Force, wielding her light saber, and finding calm in the most trying of circumstances. She could fight off a droid army or a rampaging rathtar and not break a sweat. But standing in a crowd of people _celebrating_ was not something she had ever gotten used to.

 

And Maker … celebration on Jakku? Rey  _never_ would have thought she would live long enough to see that.

 

And truthfully, she was not so certain there was a point to it now.

 

Her eyes flickered towards the main table where Lor San Tekka was earnestly talking to General Armitage Hux. The fiery haired General of the Second Empire actually seemed to be listening. Occasionally nodding and making some point of his own.

 

“This is never going to work,” Rey muttered to herself.

 

“Only the Sith believe in absolutes,” an amused voice whispered in her ear.

 

Rey spun about and looked up into the black mask of Kylo Ren, so-called Master of the Knights of Ren. “ _You_ again? Am I destined to be forever haunted by a creature in a mask?”

 

“If it's the mask that disturbs you ...” Kylo reached up and removed the helmet. “There? Is that better, little Jedi?”

 

_No,_ Rey thought as she stared into the strikingly attractive pale face of the man who looked down at her.  _It's not._ “There is nothing little about me, Ren … as you found out when we crossed swords on Takodana.”

 

If anything, the faint smile on his lips grew larger. “ _It_ is you. The girl I've heard so much about. Master Luke's greatest apprentice. The one he calls the future of the Jedi.”

 

Rey blushed. She hated it when Luke talked about her like that. She had been-- and still was, she admitted to herself in her most private meditations-- desperate to please Luke, to make him proud of her … she saw him as the father she had never had … but she felt so far from being the  _ideal Jedi_ that Luke's praise made her feel like a fraud. “I just try to do the best I can.”

 

“That's all any Master can ask.” Kylo's gaze flickered back towards the table. “Armitage is not the man his father was. He's young enough that he can still be influenced. Lor San Tekka is just the man to influence him towards being a better man.” Kylo shrugged. “Armitage is a decent tactician and knows how to lead-- he's also one of the best engineers alive. Working with the people of Jakku, he and his Second Empire people could make Jakku thrive once more.”

 

“That wouldn't be necessary if the New Republic would help.”

 

“The Core Worlds have never been overly concerned with the welfare of the Outer Rim. You know that as well as anyone.”

 

“What makes you say that?” Rey asked sharply.  _Scavenger_ was a word that she still heard in her nightmares.

 

“You may wear the robes of a Jedi, but I've seen the style you wear them on half a dozen people since I've been on Jakku.” Kylo paused. “And the anger when you struck down Unkar Plutt-- that was  _personal._ ”

 

Again Rey flushed-- this time in shame. “I should have been a better Jedi.”

 

“Even the most perfect Jedi make mistakes.” Kylo shrugged. “I wouldn't hold it against you.”

 

“You're not a Jedi.”

 

“Not now, no.”

 

“You were a Jedi?” Rey stared at him in shock. “You-- you're one of the Dissidents?”

 

“Dissidents? Is that what Luke calls us now?”

 

“Yes. He said that most of his first students spurned the path of the Jedi. They left. Tika, Morganna—the ones who stayed--said the Dissidents were too bound to Darkness and that I had to be careful not to wind up like them.”

 

“Did they tell you that one of these 'Dissidents' was Chancellor Organa's son?”

 

“No.” Rey's eyes widened in shock. “No. Ben Solo … Ben Solo is dead. _Luke_ told me that. _Finn_ told me that.”

 

“Finn … dear Finn.” Kylo's smile did not look so pleasant now. “The traitor.”

 

“Don't call him that. He's my … friend.” _He was almost more, but I chose the Jedi way instead. And he has Rose now..._

 

“He is no Jedi.” It was not derision … was that  _envy_ she heard in his voice? “Finn had just enough Force sensitivity to find those more gifted. I imagine you're not the first student he sent to his father.”

 

“Father? Master Luke is Finn's  _father?_ ” She did not need the Force to read the truth in Kylo's eyes. “But … they never said anything ...”

 

“You'll find that Skywalkers are very good at keeping secrets.” Kylo looked away.

 

“But Master Luke forbids attachments. He … how could he possibly be Finn's father?”

 

“I'm sure Master Luke is the first one to tell you that he does not live up to the legend. Most people chalk that up to modesty, but honesty is one of the few virtues I'll admit to him having.” Kylo paused. “But it has a limit.”

 

Rey's eyes narrowed. “You're trying to seduce me.”

 

Kylo gave her a surprised look.

 

Rey blushed. “To the Darkside, I mean.”

 

Kylo shrugged. “Unlike Master Luke, the Knights of Ren give our recruits a choice. You could be a Ren Knight without serving the Darkside.”

 

“Right. The Knights of Ren-- all clad in black wielding red light sabers-- do not serve the Darkside.”

 

“We don't. We serve ourselves.”

 

“Maybe you don't serve the Darkside,” and somehow Rey found herself believing that, “but surely you serve Snoke.”

 

She had heard of Master Snoke … a powerful Force User who dwelled on the Outer Rim. Rumor was that the Second Empire had tried to make an alliance with him, but Snoke had refused. He was the one that the Knights of Ren called Master.

 

“Snoke is our teacher. He helped us find our own ways, but we do not serve him.”

 

“I don't understand.”

 

“Perhaps if you spoke with him, you'd understand.” Kylo held out his hand. “He is here with my fellow Knights. He will speak to you if you like.”

 

Rey stared at his gloved hand reluctantly.

 

“You are in no danger, Rey.” Kylo removed his glove and tucked it into his belt. “You're a Jedi. I offer you free access to my thoughts. You can read my intentions with a touch. I will not try to resist.”

 

Rey stared at him. At his hand. Almost against her will, she reached out, her fingertips barely touching his …

 

“Rey! Get away from him!”

 

Finn Skywalker ran forward, his handsome face twisted in anger. He was reaching for a light saber that he carried at his belt.

 

“Why hello, Finn. Good to see you.” Kylo's lips twisted … it might have been a smile, but if so it was a bitter one. “Traitor.”

 

Finn winced. “I did what I had to do, Ben.”

 

“You told Luke that I was planning on leaving. That the others were coming with me. Do you have any idea what could have happened?”

 

“He let you go.”

 

“I trusted you. I wanted you to join me. You were my best friend. You were my family.”

 

“Ben--” Finn did not activate his light saber. “You  _are_ my family. You will always be my family. But I couldn't follow your path.”

 

“So you tried to prevent me from walking it too. Ah, cousin, you are a true son of your father.”

 

“Cousin ...” Rey whispered. “You said Finn was Luke's son ...”

 

“You _told_ her?” Finn demanded of Kylo.

 

“I did,” Kylo admitted. “I would have thought that you would have mentioned that little fact to her at some point.”

 

“It … never came up. Rey was destined to be a Jedi. I didn't want to … _distract_ her.”

 

Rey ignored them both for a moment. “Finn is your cousin. Luke Skywalker is your uncle. Your mother ...”

 

“Is Luke's twin sister.” Kylo nodded.

 

“But Luke was Darth Vader's son ...”

 

“Yes.”

 

“That means that Chancellor Organa is Darth Vader's _daughter!”_

 

“Yes.” Kylo nodded. “And if the New Republic Senate had ever discovered her parentage then she never would have been elected to the Chancellorship. That's why she never acknowledged Luke as her brother. It was a secret that she kept from everyone …” Kylo's voice trailed off. “Even me. Until I learned of it by accident.” He gestured at Finn. “I didn't even know he was my cousin until shortly before I left the Academy ...”

 

“I didn't know either, Ben. That didn't mean that I didn't care about you or the others.” Finn looked down. “But the New Republic _needs_ the Jedi. Once they were gone, Palpatine was able to destroy the Old Republic. Your mother just wants to protect us all ...”

 

“She wants to protect the Galaxy _against_ Force users!”

 

“She wants to make sure that another Palpatine or Darth Vader never arises. That's a noble goal, Ben ...”

 

“By making Jedi training mandatory for anyone who's found to be Force Sensitive, Finn.” Kylo shook his head. “Stealing them away from their homes and families ...”

 

“Luke and the Jedi gave me a home! A family!” Rey protested.

 

“And for you, it was a good fit. But for those who did not wish to spend our lives in service to the New Republic Senate ...”

 

“The Jedi are _peacekeepers!”_ Finn said angrily. “They serve the people not the Senate!”

 

“Says the man who chose not to be one …” Kylo shrugged. “And because your father was Luke Skywalker-- the _legend_ \-- you had a choice that was denied to me-- and the others.”

 

Finn said nothing.

 

“Finn …” Rey murmured softly. “Is this true?”

 

The son of Luke Skywalker shrugged. “From a certain point of view, maybe.”

 

“Now you're speaking like your father,” Kylo scoffed.

 

“Rey ...” Finn said, ignoring his cousin. “Chancellor Organa saw first hand the damage that Emperor Palpatine was able to do. Someone with Ben's power--”

 

“That's not my name any longer,” Kylo said mildly. “Remember, Ben Solo is _dead._ ”

 

Finn glared at him. “You should have _stayed,_ Ben! We needed you! _I_ needed you!”

 

“You didn't need me, Finn. Master Luke and my mother were bound and determined to turn me into _their_ vision of who I should be. No matter what I wanted-- what I needed-- I was supposed to be what _they_ wanted. I couldn't live that way. Master Snoke offered me another way-- offered all of us another way-- so we wanted to leave.” Kylo paused. “And I thought you would have come with us.”

 

“I couldn't, Ben--” Finn looked down. “I... I couldn't leave Dad.”

 

“I know that now.” Kylo looked away. “I shouldn't have told you we were going. That was a choice you should never have been forced to make.”

 

Finn's eyes widened. “You've changed.”

 

Kylo smiled slightly. “Once I learned to accept that I would never be entirely Lightside, my temper improved considerably.”

 

“Your mother wouldn't believe that would be possible.” Finn smiled slightly himself. “Ben, what happened? Dad never said? He wouldn't let me go with him when he went to confront you and the others.”

 

“We got into an argument,” Kylo said softly. “I pulled my light saber on him...”

 

“And you still have your hand?” Finn asked in astonishment. “He must have been feeling pretty charitable.”

 

“Tell me about it.” Kylo smiled ruefully. “After he disarmed me, I was thankful that it wasn't literal.” His smile turned grim. “I couldn't defeat him in combat, so I had to use another way.”

 

“Another way?” Rey asked him in surprise. “How could you possibly leave if Luke Skywalker didn't want you to?”

 

“Blackmail,” Kylo told her grimly. “I threatened to reveal the truth of Chancellor Organa's parentage if they didn't let us go.”

 

“ _That's_ why Aunt Leia showed up before you left. I thought she was just trying to talk you out of it ...” Finn murmured.

 

“She did. It didn't work.” Kylo drew a shuddering breath. “Chancellor Organa told me … she told me that if I left, Ben Solo was dead to her. She said that she would arrange for it to appear that I had died, but if I wanted to leave the Jedi Academy I couldn't be her son any longer.” He looked away. “So Ben Solo died … and Kylo Ren was born.”

 

“Ben … I didn't know ...” Finn reached out to his cousin.

 

Kylo nodded, but did not allow Finn to embrace him. “That was six years ago. My friends and I went out here … towards the Outer Rim. There we met Master Snoke … he took us in, encouraged us to develop our abilities … _all_ our abilities, whether Light or Dark.”

 

“He's not a Sith-- or a Jedi?” Finn asked skeptically.

 

“Master Snoke believes that any attempt for Light or Dark to reach ascendancy is doomed to failure. Darkness rises … and Light to meet it. Or the other way around. He believes that if we can find Balance in ourselves, then the Galaxy will not be torn asunder by the battles between Light and Dark. He said that struggle destroyed his people, and he did not wish for the rest of the Galaxy to join them.”

 

“Ben, I remember the Dissidents who left with you,” Finn said softly. “I can't believe that Sheeva, Royce, or Nippet would ever be able to find Balance. No matter what Dad did, he couldn't seem to help them.”

 

“He was trying to make them into something they weren't … and could never be. Sheeva is still ambitious, and she still longs for power … but she has learned the value of loyalty and respect.” He smiled thinly. “Royce still like to romance men and women, but he also knows when it is time to be serious.”

 

“Sounds like Poe could learn a lesson from him,” Rey murmured in a teasing voice. She knew that Poe had never exactly been shy about pursuing any attractive man or woman he met-- even in the direst of situations he still couldn't help but flirt with anything with a pulse.

 

Finn glared at her. “You're not helping.”

 

“And Nippet still lives for the thrill of battle, but she's gotten more adept at learning when _not_ to fight as well.” Kylo smiled slightly. “And as for me, I can go for prolonged periods without wrecking expensive machinery in a fit of pique.”

 

“Prolonged periods?” Finn asked him skeptically, the ghost of a smile in his eyes.

 

“I'm still working on it,” Kylo admitted.

 

“Did Snoke send you to deal with Unkar Plutt?” Rey asked him. “You never told me why you were here.”

 

“I came to help the scavengers who slaved under Plutt.” Kylo looked away. “I was made an offer I couldn't refuse.”

 

Rey felt a faint stirring of anger. “These people have _nothing,”_ she hissed. “What price did you demand from them?”

 

_A vision of her parents leaving her behind …_

 

“They have their pride,” Kylo replied. “You should know that as well as I do. And they're not the ones paying me. Maz is.”

 

“Maz?” Finn and Rey exchanged looks.

 

“Yes, Maz. Why are the two of you looking like that?”

 

“Maz … passed along Lor San Tekka's request for Jedi Assistance. Luke wanted to send someone else, but I insisted on going,” Rey admitted. “He told me it was dangerous for me to confront my past at this stage in my training, but I was certain that I was the Jedi destined to bring peace to Jakku. It … did not go the way I thought.”

 

_Plutt had joined forces with the Old Guard, the last bastions of the Old Empire who had attempted to stage a coup rather than accept Armitage Hux's leadership. Like they had done once before, they made a last stand on Jakku … with the Church of the Living Force and the Scavengers caught between them and Hux's forces. Somehow, Kylo had convinced Hux to allow the two Knights to attempt capture of Plutt and the Old Guard before Hux used his superior forces to grind them into pulp._

 

_Rey told herself that she had agreed to this plan because it would save the lives and homes of the helpless innocents caught in the middle of a battle they had not started, but in truth she had dreamed for years of finally confronting Plutt as an adult rather than a frightened child. Jedi or not, Rey still hated him with all the fury of an abandoned child._

 

_Side by side, back to back, the Jedi Knight and the Ren Knight had fought their way through the decrepit weapons that Plutt had forced his scavengers to cobble together as well as the storm troopers that the Old Guard had convinced to join them. It was the first real battle that Rey had ever been in … and though she strove mightily for Jedi detachment, she had felt a fierce exultation as she fought her way to her childhood tormentor. When he had drawn a blaster and fired upon her, she had deflected the blast back at him-- killing him instantly._

 

_And all Rey had felt was disappointment that he had died so quickly …_

 

“It's interesting that Maz did not mention to me that she had also gone to the Jedi for help,” Kylo said in a quiet voice that shattered Rey's reverie.

 

“Isn't it,” Finn agreed, exchanging a knowing look with his cousin. “She's here?”

 

“Yes,” Rey acknowledged. “She's the one who served as a liaison for Lor San Tekka and General Hux. They needed a neutral third party that they could both trust, and she was just about the only one who fit the bill.”

 

“Maybe we should have a talk with her,” Kylo suggested. “This is all starting to sound a little too coincidental.”

 

“I think you may be right,” Finn admitted. “Let's find her.”

 

“Where is she?” Rey asked.

 

Kylo, taller than the other two, looked around. “Of course. She's with Master Snoke and my fellow Knights. Follow me.”

 

The Ren Knight led the others through the throngs of celebrating scavengers and Second Empire personnel. While he made no overtly threatening gesture, the crowd parted before him. Shortly, they reached Maz Kanata, Master Snoke, and the rest of the Knights of Ren.

 

Sheeva, beautiful in spite of (or perhaps because of) her bone white skin and golden eyes, was unmasked and speaking to Master Snoke. She turned and her expression turned into a snarl as she saw Finn Skywalker. “Traitor!”

 

As one, the other Ren Knights with her drew their weapons.

 

Rey and Finn drew their own light sabers and activated them.

 

“No,” Kylo said firmly. “We aren't here to fight. And no one here will harm Finn … unless they would like to try their luck against me first.” He stared directly into Sheeva's eyes.

 

The beautiful woman flinches and looked away.

 

“Ben Solo,” Maz crooned. “Finn Skywalker. Rey of Jakku. We were just talking about you.”

 

Kylo rolled his eyes, ignoring the “Ben Solo” comment. “Why am I not surprised?”

 

“Because you are not an idiot,” Maz said with a smirk. “Well not much of one, perhaps.”

 

Kylo bristled.

 

“Maz, Kylo just told me that you had spoken to him about helping the scavengers on Jakku,” Rey broke in, knowing that Maz would delight in teasing Kylo for hours if things were left unchecked.

 

“He did.”

 

“Master Snoke,” Sheeva interrupted. “Shouldn't Kylo introduce us to his new … companion?”” There was a certain implication to the way she said “companion.”

 

Rey's lips twitched.

 

“Forgive me, Master Snoke,” Kylo broke in hastily. “This is the Jedi Knight Rey of Jakku. As I believe you may have already known.”

 

“Yes,” Snoke said in his deep voice. If he had been standing, he would have been even taller than Chewbacca, Rey realized, but he was sitting in a hover chair. She did not recognize whatever his species was-- in truth, he was close enough to human to be unsettling. “Rey of Jakku, I am honored to meet you.”

 

“Thank you, Master Snoke.”

 

The tall alien chuckled wryly. “My Knights may call me Master, but I do not require others to do so.”

 

“What does Maz call you since the two of you seem to be so buddy-buddy?” Finn inquired rashly.

 

“Ex,” the diminutive alien cackled. “Snoke is my ex husband.”

 

The three of them gaped at them in surprise.

 

“It's true,” Snoke admitted readily.

 

“I used to climb him like a tree,” Maz said with a smirk as she patted the gold robed alien's cheek.

 

“And there's an image I don't need in my head,” Finn muttered.

 

“Me either,” Kylo admitted frankly.

 

“Unlike most of my exes, Snoke and I are on good terms. Dear, do you think you might ask the rest of your Knights to take a hike?”

 

Snoke looked at Sheeva and the others. “Why don't you go enjoy the celebration? I'm sure that I'll be fine here with Kylo to protect me.”

 

“But Master--” Sheeva began.

 

“Go.” Snoke was much firmer this time, and all of them could feel him starting to gather his will through the Force.

 

“We will go enjoy the celebration,” Sheeva said wisely. She gestured to her fellow Ren Knights, pausing only long enough to look at Kylo. “We count on you to protect Master Snoke.”

 

“He's safe in my hands,” Kylo said simply. “I would never let anything happen to Master Snoke. He's been like a father to me.”

 

After the other Ren Knights left, Maz turned to Snoke. “I told you that they would meet. As soon as I saw them both, I knew they were destined to meet.”

 

“And you still think they are the ones? The prophecy was always about a Chosen One ...”

 

“You've lived nearly as long as I have, Snoke. You know how easily prophecies can be twisted by those in power. The Force has _always_ been Balanced. Balance is needed by those who wield it. And the Chosen One is not a single person … it's a philosophy.”

 

“I had thought that Kylo-- or perhaps one of my other Knights-- might be able to a perfect balance of Light and Dark … but thus far none of them have accomplished it,” Snoke mused, then he glanced at Kylo's face. “You have come far, my apprentice, but even you must admit that balance continues to elude you.”

 

Kylo sighed and nodded his head.

 

“And young Rey …” Maz looked at her. “Luke calls you the ideal Jedi … he believes that you are the one who fulfill the prophecy.”

 

“I'm not perfect,” Rey admitted as she thought of her lack of guilt over Plutt's death, her inability to be detached from the situation. “I love. I hate. Try as I might, I cannot avoid attachment.”

 

“And this one … Luke Skywalker's son.” Snoke looked at their companion.

 

“My name is Finn,” Finn declared. “I'm not just my father's son. I walk my own path.”

 

“You do,” Maz said. “You were not strongly gifted with the Force, but you have an indomitable will and are a true descendant of the Skywalker line. Like Anakin, you love passionately. Like Padme, you will fight for what you believe no matter the odds … no matter how frightened you are.”

 

“There is something between the three of them,” Snoke admitted. “An energy. An awakening in the Force like nothing I've ever seen before.”

 

“This is what we have waited for. _They_ are what we have waited for.”

 

“An imperfect Jedi. A Ren Knight who stands between Darkness and Light. And a man who's neither-- who carries the seed of Balance-- to guide them.” Snoke looked at the three humans before them. “We must be sure.”

 

“ _I_ am sure. You're the one who requires convincing.” Maz smiled up at the tall alien before turning once more to the humans. “Kylo Ren-- you who were once Ben Solo-- I promised you something to bring you to Jakku. I stand now ready to deliver on that promise.” She held up a small wooden box and opened it.

 

Inside was a light saber.

 

“This belonged to Anakin Skywalker. It calls to all of you in different ways, doesn't it?”

 

Silently, the three humans nodded.

 

“Call it to you,” Snoke told them. “Each of you call it to you to see who has the stronger claim!”

 

The light saber hovered out of the box and flew towards them. Then it halted in front of them.

 

Kylo extended his hand and reached out, determined to claim his grandfather's legacy.

 

Rey held forth her hand, determined to prove to herself that she was worthy of the faith that Luke placed in her.

 

Finn … watched.

 

The light saber began to shake, cracks appeared in the hilt …

 

And then Finn reached out and took it with a human hand. “That's not how we're supposed to do this,” he told them. “We don't do this by trying to overpower each other. We do it _together.”_

 

“It's a light saber,” Kylo murmured. “It can only be used by one person at a time.”

 

“It can be _shared,_ ” Finn countered. “Passed freely between us. Ben … we're family by blood … Rey is family to me by choice ...” his lips quirked. “And I think the two of you are already feeling something Dad would lecture you about if you were here ….”

 

Rey blushed.

 

Surprisingly, so did Kylo.

 

Neither denied it.

 

“Join me,” Finn said. “Please.”

 

Hesitantly, Ben reached out and placed his massive hand over Finn's smaller one.

 

Finn smiled encouragingly at him. “Welcome back, cousin. Rey?”

 

“I don't belong,” she whispered. “You two are family. I'm not. I'm alone ...”

 

“You're _not_ alone,” Kylo told her.

 

“Neither are you,” she told him gently, before placing her hand over his.

 

And the moment she did so, all three of them heard voices.

 

“Rey ...” it was the scholarly voice of a young Obi-Wan Kenobi.

 

“Ben ...” it was the unforgettable voice of Darth Vader.

 

“Finn ...” it was the loving voice of a young Padme Amidala.

 

“These are your first steps,” the three ghost voices said as one.

 

And when Finn activated the light saber all three of them held, it did not blaze forth with blue light. It did burn with red. Instead it shone … it shone with the purest _white._

 

_Balance._

 

It had begun.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this didn't go quite the way I expected … Been a long month. My oldest friend in the world passed away this month and between that and work related stress it took forever to write something. In regards to the particulars of this AU: Snoke gave some lip service to the idea of balance in TLJ. The idea here is that Snoke was never injured as he was presumably in canon … so he remained a more benign figure who never took control of the Empire's surviving forces to convert them into the First Order. Instead, Breedol Hux, Armitage's father, held power and attempted to create a Second Empire … but he wasn't particularly great at it and died … quite possibly at Armitage's hands. With no other evil father figures around, Armitage is a bit more reasonable, and has a sense of responsibility towards his troops that put him in conflict with the Old Guard. Finn being Luke's son is something I've used before and based on Mark Hamill jokingly calling John Boyega “son” on Twitter. Leia being more of a hard case here quite frankly comes over from the idea of her being a poltician as opposed to a princess or general. It's apparently canon that Leia kept her relationship to Luke and Anakin a secret for her entire political career … and I don't think it's an unreasonable assumption that Alderaan's destruction would make her wary of allowing Force users to be left unchecked. Forcing Ben to fake his death and disinheriting him seems a bit much, but even in canon Leia was not above taking extreme positions that aren't necessarily the best ideas. (Not telling Han that Ben was being influenced by Snoke for example.) I like the idea of Finn being the balance wheel between Rey and Kylo's black and white personalities … canon Finn was conditioned from childhood to be nothing more than a cog in the First Order war machine, but he's one of the warmest, most human characters in the movies. He is capable of great bravery and self-sacrifice-- but he's also human enough to feel fear and want to get the heck out of Dodge in a situation that he feels is hopeless. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	21. Monsters

The Resistance calls him Kylo when they must refer to him by name. General Organa also calls him that. Technician Rose Tico calls him "Kylo" or "Big Guy" or sometimes "Friend."

He likes when she calls him that.

Admiral Ackbar calls him an "Important Asset" or sometimes a "Weapon of Mass Destruction."

Kylo does not like either of those names.

There is another name for him that Poe Dameron and most of the Resistance uses for him when they do not think he can hear them: "Monster."

He does not like that name at all.

But, he acknowledges, it is probably true.

He is in his room when Technician Rose Tico comes to him. "Kylo!" A look of relief crosses her face when she sees that he is more or less in on piece. "They said you were going after a Knight of Ren. I was so worried for you ..."

"I am functional." His cybernetic left arm is not currently operational, but he is still mostly intact. Mostly. "I have fulfilled General Organa's command. The last of Supreme Leader Snoke's Knights of Ren are dead."

"I'm glad," Technician Rose Tico flashes him a brief smile. "But let me check that arm out for you. Do you need a medical droid too?"

"No." There is not much left of his organic components … even less now than there had been when General Organa sent him after the first Knight. His right arm is mostly organic, but his other limbs had been replaced long ago. Even his breathing had to be supported by the life support system of his suit. In the beginning, he had felt a pang of … _something_ … each time he lost another piece of his flesh, but now it matters little. "If you can repair my arm that will suffice. General Organa expects me to make my report as soon as possible."

Technician Rose Tico smiles grimly as she reaches for her tool belt. "Fortunately, I've spent so much time putting you back together I know how all the pieces go. We should get you up and running in half an hour." She frowns. "Times like this I wish we could make a run to the Core Worlds … there are cybernetics there that would serve you so much better … free you from that damn suit ..."

Kylo shrugs. "I am still able to fulfill my orders and complete my missions as I am now."

"There's more to life than missions, Kylo. When this is all over- when we've defeated the First Order- don't you want to be able to walk around without being trapped in that suit?"

Kylo looks at her. Even with his success against the Knights of Ren, the odds of them being able to overcome Snoke's forces were slim at best. And if they did win … "There will be no place for me in a time of peace, Technician Rose Tico."

"You can just call me Rose, Kylo." She smiles at him. "We're friends" And then she frowns. "Why do you say that? What do you mean there's no place for you in a time of peace?"

"I am a monster," he reminds her gently. "General Organa sends me on killing missions. The Galaxy she wants to create will be one in which I will never belong."

"That's not true. You only kill bad people!"

"I kill who General Organa tells me to kill." He smiles beneath his helmet. He does not know who he was before General Organa rebuilt his shattered body. He does not know what he was before he became a killer. But somehow he suspects that even in whatever life he had before he did not have a friend like Technician Rose Tico. "But it's enough that I am helping to give you a better future."

"You deserve a future too, Kylo," Technician Rose Tico murmurs as she works on his arm. "I think this is going to be the best I can do right now. I just hope that the General will give you some time off for a full overhaul. You could use it."

"Time off" was an alien concept to Kylo. When he was not being sent on another of General Organa's missions he was being repaired from the one he just finished. If there was time between those two states- which was not often- Kylo spent his time in training. The Force whispered to him, and in those moments of stasis that served him as sleep, he would occasionally dream of things … of a younger General Organa, of a dashing man he had learned what called Han Solo, the droids who served General Organa, and even a Wookie. It had not taken him a great deal of research to discover that the Wookie was named Chewbacca and was Han Solo's lifelong co-pilot and friend.

And then … sometimes … sometime he would dream of a girl. A brave girl with hazel eyes clad in desert clothing. He thought she might be beautiful, but he was not entirely sure he knew what that was.

He is oddly sure he has never seen her in life … not even in the blank space that is his past.

Dreams of General Organa and her family are bittersweet and sad. Dreams of the girl give him the closest thing to peace he knows.

But sadly, not all his dreams are good.

Occasionally he dreams of a bearded man with fiery eyes armed with a light saber coming upon him in the dark. He knew the man's name- he is positive that he knew it- but he knows it no longer. All he does know is that dreams of that man fill him with white hot fury and a terrible sense of betrayal ….

He does not like those dreams.

When Technician Rose Tico is finished, she pats his arm. "I think we got it fixed, Kylo." She looks nervously at the door that leads to General Organa's quarters. "Be careful, Kylo. I'm always afraid that one of these days you aren't going to return from one of those missions." She sighs. "Someone I cared for never did. His name was Finn."

"I am sorry to hear that." He knows that is the appropriate thing to say. He has heard others say those words to Resistance Members. This is the first time he has ever said them himself. "I am sorry for your loss, Tech …. Rose Tico."

She flashes him a smile. "It's a beginning. I'll see you later, Kylo." She bites her lip, and then walks away.

Kylo watches her go and then makes his way to the General's quarters. "General Organa. I am here."

"Come in, Kylo." There's a slight slur to the General's words. He knows when he enters the room that she's been into her Corellian Ale. "Lock the door behind you."

Kylo does so.

"You can take off your mask. You don't need it here."

In truth, he did not need the helmet to maintain his life support equipment, but he's always assumed that he must be terribly deformed as General Organa has forbidden him from revealing his face to anyone else except her … he has no mirrors in his own quarters, and a droid shaves him and cuts his hair.

He must truly be a monster if General Organa wishes no one else to see his face.

But General Organa has told him to remove his mask, and he always does what she tells him to. He reaches up and removes the mask, blinking his eyes as he adjusts to seeing the light with his human eyes. "Thank you, General Organa."

General Organa looks at him for a moment, and then looks away. She seldom looks at him for more than a few minutes at a time. When he is injured, he has often found her at his side when he wakes up from his repairs, humming a melody that he recognizes as Alderaan lullaby called _Mirrorbright._ "You are welcome, Kylo." She takes a sip of her ale. "Kylo, I know you have not been back very long, but I'm going to send you on another mission."

"Of course, General Organa." It is not in him to refuse General Organa.

"I sent Poe Dameron to Jakku." She took another drink. "Lor San Tekka contacted us with news about finding a map to the Jedi Master."

Kylo blinks. He feels a stirring of … _something_. Something that he does not like. Something that hurts. Something that makes him _angry_ and _afraid._ "I see."

"He hasn't come back. My spy in the First Order reported that Poe was taken by the First Order and Lor San Tekka and all his followers were slaughtered." General Organa finishes her glass and pours herself another. "My last contact with my spy was that he was going to try to save Poe. I haven't heard from him since. For all I know, he was caught and they were both dead."

Kylo waits. She is telling him this for a reason.

"We need that map, Kylo. It may be our one hope of saving the Resistance from the First Order. Poe's droid BB-8 should have the map in his memory. I need you to go to Jakku to find the droid." She finishes off her second glass. "If need be, I need you to get it from the First Order itself."

"I understand, General. I will get you the map."

She smiles sadly at him. "I know you will. You have never failed me. No matter what I have asked you to do, you have always succeeded." She looks down. "I am very proud of you."

The words touch him. He feels _something_ that might be _happiness_ but also something else. Something like _sadness._

She does not expect him to survive this mission.

"Should I attempt to rescue Poe Dameron?"

He expects her to say yes. It's obvious to everyone that she has been grooming Poe to succeed her. He has her charisma, her fiery sense of justice … he is the logical choice.

She loves him like a son.

And for reasons that Kylo does not fully understand, he is _jealous_ of Poe Dameron.

General Organa looks away. "I'm afraid Poe is another sacrifice I must make for the good of the galaxy." She takes a drink. "He wasn't the first and he won't be the last."

...**...

Han Solo is a monster.

Rey has heard stories of him … of his past … his fabled history as the smuggler who made the Kessel Run in less than 14 Parsecs. The Rebellion General who helped destroy the First _and_ Second Deathstars. The man who had married Alderaan's Last Princess … the famous Princess Leia Organa. The man who had come from nothing and become a veritable legend.

It's hard to believe in those stories now.

For now Han Solo works for the Crimson Dawn.

There are those who say that he has a romantic past with its current head … the woman known as Qi'ra, but the hard eyed man who periodically comes to Jakku to speak with Unkar Plutt seems incapable of any soft emotion.

Han Solo comes to Jakku from time to time, always surprising Plutt when he does so. He drops off the portions and other supplies that Plutt trades to his scavengers in exchange for bits and pieces of downed Imperial and Rebellion ships. He's always accompanied by a sad-eyed Wookie who has to be the equally famous Chewbacca. Rey has seen the Wookie from time to time, and occasionally he's waved at her in a friendly fashion, but Rey never let herself get too close … not even when she was a young enough child to still occasionally trust strangers.

Plutt is just a minor cog in the Crimson Dawn network, but he's in position to see things that Han Solo wants to know.

Even Rey, who lives as far as possible from Plutt and his cronies, knows that.

"He's not been here?" Han asks the Crolute as they watch Plutt's men unload the cargo from Solo's ship.

"I told you that I would notify you immediately if he ever did," Plutt reminds the ex-smuggler in a fearful tone. The only time Rey's ever seen the Blobfish express terror was when Han Solo was near. "You know I would never break my word to you-"

"You'd sell your own sire out for a warm bottle of Corellian Ale." Solo does not say it in an angry tone. His words are as dead as his eyes. "Don't try to snow me." Solo pauses and Rey wonders what "snow" is. "The Resistance. The First Order?" Have they been here?"

Plutt coughs nervously.

Solo's hand goes to his blaster. He doesn't draw the weapon, but his hand touches the handle lightly. "Tell me."

"They found Lor San Tekka."

Han Solo frowns. His grips tightens. "Who?"

"The Resistance."

Tension seems to leak out of Han Solo slightly.

"And then the First Order." Plutt is sweating even more than usual. "I'm afraid they leveled Tuanal."

Han Solo curses softly. "Lor San Tekka?"

"From what I heard, he told the First Order nothing and died. General Hux killed him personally, they say."

"And the Resistance? Their man?"

"I'm afraid I don't know his name-" Plutt began.

"Nothing happens on this sand box without you knowing it, Plutt. His name."

The Crolute swallows. "Dameron, I think was his name. He passed through here on his way to Tuanal."

"And you did not think this was worth telling me?"

"General Solo-"

Han Solo slaps the Blobfish once. Hard. "Don't call me that."

"Of course, sir." Plutt's eyes blaze with anger and fear … but the fear won out as it always did. "I did not think Dameron would be successful in speaking with Lor San Tekka. He is apparently very persuasive." Again Plutt swallows. "The First Order caught him." His eyes shift nervously …

Towards Rey … and the droid BB-8 that had come to her AT-AT last night.

_Oh Maker._

"And-?" Han Solo asks, a hint of iron in his voice.

"And they took him … Captain Solo. I imagine they will learn whatever he knows in short order."

"Kriff." Han Solo growls.

"I'm sorry about Lor San Tekka, Captain ...I know he was under your protection."

"I don't give a kriff about Lor San Tekka, Plutt. I wanted him alive because I was sure that sooner or later _he_ would come here … or send word. He was my best lead and now he's gone."

"I am sorry, Captain Solo." Say what you will, Plutt sure knows how to grovel.

"Is that everything, Plutt?"

"Everything, Captain?"

"Everything you know."

Again Plutt's eyes shift to Rey and the Droid, but he shrugs. "I live many kilometers away from Tuanal. News comes to me, but it does not always happen instantly."

"If you hear anything- _anything_ at all- then you had best tell me." Han Solo glares at Plutt's men. "Pick up the pace. I have places to go." His dead eyes swapped back to the face of the Blobfish. "You don't want to make me unhappy, Unkar Plutt. You know how upset I was when I discovered that you had the _Millennium Falcon_ all along."

"I know, Captain." Plutt's hand nervously went to touch the metal prosthetic that had replaced the arm torn out of its roots by a Wookie. "Believe me, I remember."

The Wookie, Chewbacca, looks away as though ashamed by what he had done.

"We're keeping one of the medkits," Han Solo tells the Blobfish in a voice that brooks no disagreement. "It's just possible there's a survivor at Tuanal who can tell me something useful."

"Of course, Captain Solo."

Rey stepped back. Plutt's looks told her that BB-8 had something to do with Han Solo, and for whatever reason- greed, most likely- he had not told Solo that she had the droid. For a moment, she wondered what would happen if she told him- the droid obviously had something of value in its memory banks … something that the First Order wanted very much. And whatever it was, Plutt's greed was stronger than his fear.

He meant to get the droid from her … she had turned down the portions he had offered, so now he would most likely consider some other option … he would try to _take_ the droid. And while Rey knows she can take care of herself, even she has to sleep sometime.

Rey thinks about it.

She can give the droid to Plutt. He will reward her- not as much as he should, but she would have a cushion against his capricious nature. And maybe she can use this knowledge .. his willingness to betray Han Solo, for some sort of ongoing advantage …

Or she can give Solo the droid herself.

She is positive that he would reward her … but would that be enough?

Han Solo could get her off-planet, but she has no reason to go … she's supposed to wait for her parents. They would be back for her someday. She just had to make sure she was right where they left her.

She can't go. She can't leave Jakku. Even in the times when she's nearly starved to death, she's told herself she can't leave Jakku.

She can't go … and she can't afford to make an enemy of Unkar Plutt.

She sighs … and glances down at the droid that seems to be watching her as though it know her thoughts.

Rey sighs again.

She just doesn't have it in her to turn the droid over to Han Solo. She's positive that the old man would have no qualms about ripping anything he wanted out of BB-8's memory banks … the little droid would never survive that kind of treatment.

There's only one thing she can do right now.

"Come on, BB-8. Let's go home."

She's barely past the junkyard of ships that Plutt keeps when she feels a hand grab her and yank her behind a battered freighter.

Rey spits out a curse and then slams her elbow into the stomach of the person who had just grabbed her. Her staff is in her hands with one practiced movement and she holds it over the young black man who has attacked her. "Who the kriff do you think you are?"

The man coughs and rolls to his feet. "My name's Finn. I don't mean you any harm. I just need the droid-"

The droid beeps an inquiry.

"Yes, it's me BB-8." Finn lays a hand affectionately on top of the droid's head. "I'm glad to see you're in one piece. Poe was worried about you."

There's a moment of jealousy for Rey. After all, BB-8 had been _her_ friend and now he's talk to this stranger as though they were the best of friends. "What makes this droid so important?"

"He may be the last best hope the Resistance has to find my- Luke Skywalker."

"Luke Skywalker?!" Rey gasps.

"No. Han Solo."

And the ex-smuggler is there, with the giant Wookie at his side. "Hello, young lady." His cold dead eyes stare at Rey's companion. "Finn. Long time no see."

"Han ..." Finn begins …

But whatever the young man had meant to say, he doesn't finish.

With a blinding speed that Rey never would have guessed such an old man would possess, Han Solo draws his pistol and fires at Finn.

The young man gasps and then falls.

Chewbacca roars in protest.

Rey gasps in shock. "You killed him!"

"No I didn't. The blaster was set to stun. Finn isn't the one I'm looking for. I don't have any intention of killing him." Han Solo pauses once more, and his cold eyes makes Rey shiver. "Doesn't mean I won't if I have to. Or you either."

'

"I'm not a part of this," Rey protests.

"You are now. I may need Finn to talk, and he's just heroic enough that he wouldn't say a thing to save himself … you, on the other hand ..."

"Why are you doing this? You were a good man! You were a hero! Now … now you're just a monster!"

"Maybe I am … but if that's the case, then Luke Skywalker is to blame."

"What did he ever do to you?"

Han Solo holsters his blaster. "He killed my son. And one way or the other, he's going to pay for that … no matter where he runs. Chewie, pick up Finn. We'll take him with us. Make sure he's not hiding a light saber somewhere."

Chewbacca moans mournfully.

"Yes. I know Finn didn't have anything to do with what happened to Ben, but I'm still not going to leave him behind to stop us." Han Solo clenches his fist. "And maybe if Luke discovers I have his son, he'll _finally_ face me like a man."

"Finn is Luke Skywalker's son?" Rey asks in amazement. "I never knew he had a child."

"He kept it secret. Didn't want Finn's life to be overshadowed by the Skywalker legacy. I just wish the same courtesy had been extended to _my_ son. Come on, young lady. Long as you cooperate, you won't get hurt. And I might even be able to make it worth your time."

"You'll bring me back to Jakku?" Rey asks hopefully.

"Why would you want to come back to this sarlacc pit of a planet?" Han Solo asks her in surprise.

"I'm waiting for my family. They're coming back for me." She waits for the derision she's experienced so many other times when she's said those words. It's a fragile hope, but it's all she has.

But Han Solo does not mock her. He stares at her for a moment … long enough to make Rey uncomfortable. "Help me with this, and I'll help you find your family." He smiles briefly. "I've gotten good at looking for people, and the Crimson Dawn will help us. Do what I ask, and you'll find your family."

Rey bites her lip. "I won't hurt Finn."

"You don't have to."

"And I won't help you kill Luke Skywalker."

"That's a pleasure I reserve for myself."

"What _do_ you want me to do?"

"Keep Finn from inconveniencing me. Convince that droid to tell me where to find Luke Skywalker."

BB-8 whistles defiance.

"I can't make either of them do anything," Rey murmurs in protest, but the hope of _finally_ finding her family … "But I'll do what I can."

"Good. Now that we have the droid, we don't need to go to that village. We'll head straight to Takodana If the droid won't cooperate, I'm sure that Maz Kanata can help me find a slicer to take what I want ..."

..**..

Echoes of _something_ flash through his memories as Kylo walks through the destroyed village of Tuanal. The buildings are ablaze, and somehow he's sure that he once saw something similar in his past … the bodies lying about … they remind him of another time, of other bodies …

Kylo clutches his burning red light saber tighter as he reaches through the Force. The village was destroyed days ago. He hardly knows why he came here … it was just a ghostly whisper in the Force that brought him here …

_...lo..._

It was a broken whisper … just syllables … but he could sense the living mind behind it.

He follows the faint presence to the center of the village where he finds the body of Lor San Tekka … somehow, the man had managed to cling tenaciously to life for all the long hours since Armitage Hux had stabbed him …

Gently, he touches the old man's face. If he were a Jedi, he might possess the knowledge to heal this man, but his burning light saber is testament to how he is anything but a Jedi.

The old man opens his eyes and smiles at him. "Hello, my young friend."

"You should save your strength."

"There isn't time for that. The First Order took the young pilot … the Force tells me that they do not have his droid. The pilot can still find the man that Leia seeks." Lor San Tekka coughs. "Go to Takodana"

"What? Why?" He can feel the thread of this old man's life tearing and it grieves him in a way that he cannot explain.

"Takodana is where you will find the secrets of your past … and future. Takodana, my young friend." Gently, the old man reaches out to touch Kylo's face, and then his hand falls. "Takodana ..."

And he was gone.

..**..

Rey did not think there could possibly be that much green in all the galaxy.

She waited uneasily at the _Falcon_ while Han and Chewbacca went to speak with Maz Kanta. The woman who owned the castle she could see in the distance. According to Han, Maz was very wise and more than 1000 years old.

She would not approve of Han holding Finn Skywalker hostage, so Han had bound the young man with Force suppressing handcuffs. He had also placed a restraining bolt on BB-8 to prevent the droid from escaping. He'd left Rey behind to keep watch over them both.

"Once we get this done, I'll bring you back, kid," Han had told her with the ghost of a smile on his lips. "You'll like the castle a lot."

Rey had nodded nervously and taken the blaster Han had given her. She watched the old smuggler and Wookie walk off.

"You can't do this, Rey. You have to let us go."

There was no fear in Finn's voice. Rey had to give him that.

"Is it true? Are you Luke Skywalker's son?"

"Yes. He's never publicly acknowledged me, but I am." Finn smiles ruefully. "A Jedi is supposed to avoid attachments- like children." He frowns. "But he's always been there for me."

Rey isn't sure she believes that. "Are you a Jedi Knight?"

"i have had training," Finn admits, "but I'm not particularly strong in the Force. Not like my father and aunt."

"Is it true?" Rey asks him after a moment's silence. "Did Luke Skywalker kill Han's son?"

Finn looks away. "It was an accident. Father had a vision of Ben turning to the Darkside. He went to his hut to convince Ben to accept more personal training- they argued, and Ben brought the roof of his hut down on himself. Father barely survived himself." Finn sighs. "Some of the other students were convinced that Father went to Ben's hut to murder him in his sleep- they burned down the Academy and fled to Snoke, becoming his Knights of Ren. Father blamed himself for everything. He sent me to Aunt Leia and fled."

"He _left_ you?" Rey gasps.

Finn sighs. "I wasn't a child any longer. He needed to be alone, to figure out what had went wrong. And I … I wasn't ready to leave the Galaxy." He sighs. "Aunt Leia needed me. I've spent the last few years working undercover with the First Order as a Stormtrooper. The Intel I've sent her as saved lives." He looks at her again. "You can't let Han find Luke Skywalker, Rey. You have to let me go. I'll take you to the Resistance. To Aunt Leia. She can help you. But if Han finds Father..." He shakes his head. "There's no way that will end well. He'll kill Father or Father will kill him. Either way, our family will never be whole. And the Galaxy cannot afford to Luke Skywalker now. He's our only hope."

"I can't, Finn. I _can't._ I have to find my parents. I've waited all my life for them, and they haven't come! Han says he'll help me find them. I can't betray him! I _can't!"_

And then they heard the ship.

..**..

The ship looks familiar.

Kylo had thought Lor San Tekka had told him to go Takodana to see Maz Kanata. He had not met the pirate queen, but she was the stuff of legends. Perhaps she could tell him how to find the droid BB-8.

But as he flies his custom black X-Wing towards Maz's castle he spots the old freighter. A Corellian freighter.

It looks so familiar, it makes his brain ache.

Almost against his will, he lands his X-Wing and makes his way towards the freighter …

..**..

Rey watches the ship land and the big man in black walk towards the _Falcon._ Her mouth goes dry. "He's a monster ..."

"Rey … you have to let me go," Finn pleads urgently. "Let me loose and I'll protect you from him! Please, Rey!"

Rey drew the pistol Han had given her. "That's far enough! Stay away!"

The tall man in black is wearing a mask. He stares at the girl. "It is _you,_ " he murmurs.

Rey's heart clenches. "Stay away!"

"The man. The droid. Release them and you won't be hurt. I am with the Resistance."

"You can't be with the Resistance!" Rey cries. "You're … you're a monster!"

"Yes I am." The big dark man activates a blazing red light saber. "That is exactly why you should give me what I want before I take it."

"No!" Rey fires. "This is my only chance to find my family!"

The dark man spins his light saber and her blasts are deflected. He raises his free hand and Rey's arm is pinned to her side. Helpless, she watches the dark man approach.

"Don't kill her!" Finn pleads. "She's not evil!"

The dark man stares at him. "You are not Poe Dameron."

"No. My name is Finn."

"Finn? Do you know Technician Rose Tico?"

Finn nods. "Small Galaxy. I do. I'm kind of a big deal with the Resistance, actually." He smirks and then turns serious. "We have the droid. We have to get away before Han and Chewbacca returns."

BB-8 whistles

"Han … and Chewbacca?" Kylo frowns behind his mask. "I know those names. Why do I know those names?"

Rey watches him. She can feel his grip over her fading. If she can just blast him without Finn giving him a warning …

"Watch out!"

The dark man's concentration breaks and Rey is _just_ able to knock him off his feet before Chewie's bow-caster strikes where his head would have been.

She winds up on top of him, staring into the disturbingly human eyes she can make out behind his mask.

"You saved me," the dark man observes.

"I did." Rey blinks in amazement. She can feel his body heat underneath the armor … underneath her …

It isn't _unpleasant._

The dark man rolls over, protectively crouching over as he draws his light saber.

The old man and Wookie hold their weapons out, preparing to fire again.

"Get out of the way, Rey!" Han shouts.

"Han, don't shoot!" Rey calls back. She doesn't know why she's saying this … _something_ is whispering to her. _Something_ tells her that if Han or Chewie kill the dark man … or if he kills _them_ … it will be a tragedy that will haunt them all forever.

"I just want the droid and Finn," the dark man says. "I have no interest in the rest of you."

"Just let us walk away, Uncle Han," Finn says gently. "It doesn't have to be this way."

"Your father made it this way, Finn," Han says, that old anger and grief still burning in his eyes. "It's all his fault! He killed my son! He killed Ben!"

The dark man stiffens. "Ben … I know that name ..."

"Who the kriff are you?" Han demands, the dark man's words making him even angrier. "The First Order's new Darth Vader?"

"I am not with the First Order," the dark man murmurs. "I serve General Organa. And my name is not 'Darth Vader.' It's Kylo."

"Kylo?" Han suddenly looks as though he's been stabbed in the heart. "Kylo?" He exchanges a look with Chewbacca.

The Wookie growls in confusion.

"Is that your birth name, Kylo?" Han lowers his blaster and his voice becomes oddly gentle.

Finn freezes. "It can't be ..."

"I do not know. General Organa has only called me Kylo since she found me. I was injured. Nearly dead." He taps his chest. "This suit preserves my life."

"General Organa 'found' you, did she?" Han's eyes narrow. "Take off that helmet, Kylo. You don't need it, do you?"

"I can live without it," Kylo affirms. "General Organa has ordered me not to remove it unless she tells me to. What do you think you will see if I _do_ take it off?"

"The face of my son." Han approaches him slowly, as though he's afraid he's dreaming. "Take it off, son."

Almost against his will, Kylo removes his helmet.

Rey stares.

If asked, she would have assumed that Kylo must have some terrible deformity. Why else would he wear that mask?

But the face she sees, though pale, is all too human.

And when their eyes meet, she feels a thrill of recognition … as though she had been waiting to see that face her entire life.

"Ben ..." Han touches that face. "Your name is Ben. Kylo … when you were little, you had an imaginary friend named Kylo. Whenever you did something bad, you would tell us that Kylo did it ..."

"You're … my father?"

"Han, I didn't know," Finn murmurs urgently. "I swear that I didn't know. I would never have hurt Ben … not my own cousin."

Kylo … or Ben? … looks at him. "Cousin?" He looks back at Han. "Father? I have family? I have a family?"

"You do." Han smiles. "You do."

"But … my mother …?"

"Your mother ..." Han's face hardens. "Your mother is General Organa and we're going back to have a talk with her ..."

..**..

Kylo has never seen General Organa … Mother? … like this.

He has seen her angry. He has seen her sad. He has seen her … defensive.

"You don't understand, Han ..."

"I understand all right. I understand you let me believe _our son_ was dead!" Han Solo's eyes twist in fury. "You let me believe Luke killed him … and then you turned him into your own personal Darth Vader!"

Kylo stands watching.

Finn has been reunited with Technician Rose Tico and Pilot Poe Dameron who managed to find his way back to the Resistance. Chewbacca is renewing his acquaintanceship with Finn …

They are all gone … all except Han and Leia and Kylo …

And somehow … forgotten as he is … the girl Rey.

"Don't you dare say that!" General Organa slaps Han Solo … Father? … hard on the face. "You know what Vader did to me! What I did to Ben … what I did to Ben was to save his life!"

"By wiping his memory?"

General Organa pales.

"What? You didn't think I'd recognize the signs? I was _in the_ Empire, remember? I saw victims of brain wipes all the time! They were ready made cannon fodder! The first troops to be scarified in an assault!" Han grabs Leia's hand before she can withdraw it. "You did _that_ to Ben- to our son!"

"Yes I did it!" General Organa … _Mother_ … stares at Kylo. "He barely survived his accident! He was so filled with anger and hatred for Luke! He was going to fall to the Darkside, Han! He was going to become a monster! I couldn't let that happen! I did what I had to! I did it to save my son!"

"And then you made him your attack calot. You sent him out to _kill_ for you! To serve your precious Resistance!"

"Yes!" Leia hisses. "The First Order is dangerous, Han! You haven't learned what I've learned! They could bring back the Empire- they could make things a hundred times worse! I did what I did to save my son- and the Galaxy! I'd do it again!"

"You would." Han is shaking with anger. "You're _his_ daughter all right! Tell me, Leia … did you even _cry_ when Alderaan was destroyed?!"

Leia gestures violently … and Han Solo is thrown back.

Kylo steps between them. "No."

"Stand aside, Kylo. That's an order!"

"No. You will not hurt him. You will not do this." He pauses. "You will not harm my father. You will not become a monster … Mother. Not like me."

Leia gasps. "I think it's too late for that, Ben."

And she turns and flees.

Kylo kneels down and touches his father's face.

Han Solo is alive.

And then Rey is there, touching his arm. "We'll get him help, Ben. It'll be okay."

"No. No it won't." And he gets up and walks away.

..**..

Rey doesn't know why she chases after Kylo … _Ben …_ as soon as Chewbacca shows up to give aid to his old friend … but she's running for him as soon as Chewie shows up.

She can feel him … she can _feel_ him.

That has to mean something.

She finds him at the _Millennium Falcon._ Sitting at the controls.

"What are you doing, Ben?"

"My name is Kylo."

"No it's not. It's Ben." Rey pauses. "If you want it to be."

"I don't remember anything." Kylo touches the controls. "Try as I might, I can't recall anything about who or what I was before General Organa ..." He pauses. "Before my mother made me into a cyborg." He removes his gloves. One hand is metallic. The other is still human. "I must have been such a terrible monster to deserve what she did to me ..."

"Maybe you don't deserve it." Rey reached out and took his hands … both the prosthetic, and the organic. "Maybe you aren't a monster. Maybe you never were."

"General Organa is my mother ..."

"That doesn't mean what she did was right." Rey stares at her hands. "My parents … my parents left me with Unkar Plutt, a terrible man. I've spent my entire life telling myself that they would come back for me … but that was just a story I told myself to survive. They didn't want me. They never were coming back for me. I was nothing to them. Nothing."

Kylo squeezes her hands. "You will never be nothing, Rey. Not to me." He lets her hands go, and touches her face with his human fingers … and Rey leans into his touch, closing her eyes as she does so. "You are not alone."

"Neither are you."

Kylo smiles. "If only I could remember who I am … who Ben Solo was."

"There's one way you can."

"Han Solo … Father … is right. There is no way to reverse Imperial Conditioning."

"There's always a way. And I bet I know who can help us do that."

"Us?"

"I told you that you're not alone. I meant it." Rey smiles. "We have a map to Luke Skywalker … and if anyone can help you remember who you were, I'm betting it's the Last Jedi."

"We don't have the map."

"We'll get the map from BB-8."

"General Organa will never let us go."

"We're not asking."

"We don't have a ship."

"We have this one."

"You think Han Solo will let us take his ship?"

"We're not asking for that either. Stay here. Get the ship ready. I'll get BB-8."

Kylo stares at her for a moment and then reaches over and kisses her cheek.

Rey blushes. "What was that for?"

"For luck. We're going to need it."

Rey kisses him quickly on the lips. "I think we're going to need a lot of luck. I'll be back soon."

And she dashes out of the ship.

And then Kylo does something he has seen Technician Rose Tico do … that he's seen other Resistance members do when they didn't see him …

He _smiles._

And readies the _Falcon_ for takeoff.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Yes, I know that Artoo has the rest of the map, but it's an AU. Just roll with it. :D

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: I have various AU ideas in my brain about Reylo now. Some just give me ideas for individual scenarios like this one.


End file.
